Drowning
by lady script
Summary: Tatsuha is getting a lot of stress from the people around him. What's a poor monk to do when too much is asked of him? Can the love for a certain someone help? Or will it only make things worse? Read and Review!
1. Happy place and Angry Face

Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation, or any of the characters. Nope, I sure don't. They belong to the great Maki Murakami.

Warnings: This is a yaoi fict. Well, duh, right? It's Gravitation-based!

Summary: Tatsuha is getting a lot of stress from the people around him. Uesugi-san wants him to be more responsible, Mika wants him to show more respect, Yuki wants him to go away, and everyone in between just can't help but to put in their own two cents. Will Tatsuha ever find peace? Can the love for a certain someone help him? Or will it make things worse? Read and find out!...o.k, summary not so great, but that's o.k.

Notes: For definitions or information in this chapter, there is a short word list at the end. This story is just something I came up with when I had a lot of time on my hands. It'll have some drama, and a great deal of romance. That's the plan anyway. As for couples, you should probably expect many...but mostly Tat/Ryu. This is my first fict. ever! Yay! Please review. I'd love to hear your opinions. Just don't be mean please. I'd also love any crtisism or tips to make my writing better! I only ask that you don't give them in a nasty or rude way. Thanks!

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(Chapter 1: happy place and angry face.)

Yuku Kawa no nagare wa taezushte

shikamo moto no mizu ni arazu

yodomi ni ukabu utakata wa

katsukie katsu musubite

hisashiku todomaritaru tameshi nashi

yononaka ni aru hito to sumika to

mata kaku no gotoshi

The flowing river

never stops

and yet the water

never stays

the same.

Foam floats

upon the pools,

scattering, re-forming,

never lingering long.

So it is with man

and all his dwelling places

here on earth.

- Kamo-no-Chomei (1)

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The water felt cool against the lower half of his legs. He slowly moved them back and forth as the current pushed on them with a rhythmic but steady force. Every once and a while his foot would shift and brush against the dark mud that layered the bottom of the stream. And he would continue to sit there, bent over a rail of slightly decaying wood, staring at his reflection in the foggy-blue water.

The stream led to a lake down past a dirt pathway in the forest, and persimmon trees (2) decorated the entire area. About halfway up the stream was where the bridge, upon which Tatsuha sat, crossed over to connect the two parts of aged land that surrounded him. And to the back of him, at the uppermost part of the stream, was where the old ruins of a once major temple lay.

Mika used to tell him about this place, back when he was little and she still lived at the Uesugi house with him. She would say that this temple was once a beautiful structure to behold, and that its purity and spiritual healing abilities would attract people from all over Japan and even Hong Kong. Tatsuha learned from her that many major events took place here and that back when the water was like crystal, when the scenery and colors were like that of an artist's canvas, and when the temple was whole and strong, she would come here regularly with their father and Eiri.

But now the old temple was closed and condemned. He really didn't know why, it just was. And the only bit of usefulness it had left was that it allowed him to be alone when he wanted to be.

This temple was closed not too long after he was born, and ever since he was a child he often came here. When he was little he would pretend that he was an emperor and that all had to obey him because his word was law. The temple was his palace and all of his loyal servants dwelled within it. If he were ever happy all of his kingdom would rejoice, and if he were ever sad then the entire world would know it and join him in his sadness. Sometimes the temple would be his hide out. Sometimes it would be his place for meditation or reflection on actions, events, or memories that would trouble him. In any case, he adopted it as a place of his own and began calling it "Rei-Ookawa" temple which meant "Cool River". Once or twice he'd thought of bringing a girl there with him (You know, to have a little fun -wink-). But then the thought of her knowing where to find him and her following him around would pop into his mind. To him, that would be a real pain in the ass.

Every so often Keisatsukan (3) would come to patrol the area and perform inspections to make sure that no one was in the abandoned temple. Tatsuha did a pretty good job of avoiding them and on the occasions that he did get caught wondering around, he simply came up with this "monk crap" about him expelling demons and praying against evil auras that surrounded the area….and they believed him every time.(Obviously, they didn't know much about Buddhist monk practices.)

For the most part though, the temple was a very quiet place, except for the sounds coming from nature. And the scenery, though ghastly at times, was always tranquil.

"(_Gasp!_) Wha…..!"

Tatsuha's thoughts had been interrupted by a fish that had swam up to one of his toes on his left foot and, mistaking it for food, nibbled it. After a moment of realization, it stopped nibbling and swam away.

He stood back up and heard the squish sound of his wet feet meeting with the dry, old wooden planks of the bridge. The water dripped from his legs leaving moist dark circles on the ground upon which it fell and as he began to move forward towards where land and the bridge's end met, wet footprints appeared behind him, one by one.

"_Monk_"….that very word sent doubt through his mind. He picked up a couple of rocks and began throwing them into the stream, and each one made a deep 'clunk' sound. He looked around. Over past some rocks with moss on it and a patch of tall grass with weeds in it, there was a broken wall that was part of the temple. It had a window with red paint flaking off of it and under it was his collection of discarded beer cans that had piled up over a course of months. Not too far from it was where an old lotus pond and a broken statue were placed. Noticing his surroundings made him think of how much time he had spent there on that day.

"I've been here for the longest time now. Let's see…ummm…about… _six hours_! Oh man! How boring! How could _anyone_ spend six whole hours at some old temple?" After a long pause, Tatsuha answered his own question. "…Well, I guess it wouldn't be too hard to waste that much time. In Kyoto there's not much to keep you occupied…especially if you're a teenager."

So far during the summer, he had spent everyday thinking of new and more interesting ways to avoid his monk duties. At first they were just excuses, but then his old man started catching on. He thought it was after he told him that he was actually going off to **study** downtown….on the **same** day that Sakuma Ryuichi's new concert D.V.D was being sold. The old man caught on quickly. He told Tatsuha he was _so_ much like his aniki.

Well, since his father didn't believe his excuses anymore, he decided to resort to plan B. He'd just skip. He didn't show up to the temple when he was supposed to. He knew it pissed his father off, but in his defense he kept telling him he wasn't cut out for that job! He just didn't listen….no one listened to him.

Tatsuha lifted his head towards the sky and a deep sigh escaped from his mouth.

The sun was beginning to set. He guessed that meant it was time for him to start the lengthy tread home. He began to look for his shoes which were under his black bag with the Nittle Grasper logo on it. After rolling his pant legs back down, he put his shoes on and grabbed his NG bag. Then he started to walk and as he passed through the empty temple he heard the echoes of his footsteps. He walked through the entrance, down the stone steps, and through the forest that surrounded everything. It was starting to get darker. He wasn't worried though, He just kept walking.

_At that very moment_…

"No Uesugi-san, Tatsuha-kun hasn't been over to my house today. In fact, I haven't seen him since last week."

"Hmmm…I see…well then, if you hear from him anytime soon, please notify me at once."

"Will do. G'night Uesugi-san", said the young man's voice on the other line. "Good night", a much, much older voice replied. 'Click'.

With a long dial tone playing in his ear Uesugi-san continued to hold the phone up to his face, his old, wrinkled, and now shaking hand squeezing it tighter and tighter.

"Arragh! That boy!" he mumbled in a very angry tone.

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Tatsuha was still walking home. "_It's really dark now_", he thought to himself, "_I wonder how late it is? Damn! I shouldn't have stopped at those two c.d. shops. I ended up spending way too much time in those stores, but I just couldn't help it! My honey Ryuichi's posters were in the windows! I wonder what they said? They had writing at the bottom, but I was too taken in by his beautiful icy-blue eyes and lovely skin tone and pouty lips and perfect body to read. Oh, how wonderful he truly is to grace the music industry with his beauty and charm! Oh, how un-worthy we all are to look upon him! Heh, while I was there I even looked for some Bad Luck c.d.s. Bad Luck is a pretty good band. Not as great as Nittle Grasper, there's just no comparison, but they're still pretty good. Shu-chan's a pretty cool guy to hang out with too. He's funny, and talented…, and there's that uncanny resemblance to my Ryuichi. How did Shu-chan end up with my dork of a brother anyway?"_

His house was coming up just around the corner. All the neighbors were probably just getting to sleep, at least that was his guess seeing how they were all old and had no purpose in life other than to call his house and complain to his father about how loud he was playing his Nittle Grasper c.d.s. They just didn't appreciate true art.

"_Uh-oh"_. There was a light on downstairs. Normally one might see that as a good thing, but in Tatsuha's case it meant that he needed to brace himself before walking through the door for harsh words and possibly other things that might start flying at him.

"Uesugi, Tatsuha!" "_Uh-oh, my whole name, this can't be good," _Tatsuha thought to himself "Do you know what time it is? Where have you been?". The old man appeared in front of him and started to raise his voice, his face was turning red.

Tatsuha began to take his shoes off and then he headed towards the kitchen, with his old man on his back the whole time. He started munching on random bits of food that he found in the fridge. Then he saw an ice cold beer and without thinking he grabbed it and started to drink, as if it were instincts. Almost immediately the old man snatched it out of his hands. "Are you crazy! You're under age! Skipping your duties, disrespecting me, and now this! I've had it! I've had it! I've had it, Tatsuha! You're out of control! You don't tell me where you're going and you show up late at night! This isn't the first time you've done this!"

"_Oh good, you're paying attention_", Tatsuha thought to himself.

"And those parties you go to! I get all types of calls about your behavior at them!"

"_That's one thing that sucks about living in a small city. Word gets around, fast. (sigh) Why can't everyone just mind their own business?_"

"How many times do I have to tell you to call!" the old man continued, "You're sixteen years old, not an adult! You can't go and come as you please! You must be more responsible. Do you know how many of your friends I had to call?"

"_Ha! Don't expect me to know!_", his mind snapped back.

"It's like you disappear everyday! If only you knew how much you worry me!...Tatsuha? Are you listening!"

The old man was right to ask that question because his assumptions were correct, he wasn't. After a while Tatsuha got tired of his father's ranting and decided that it was time for him to tune him out. So he did. And for what seemed like 10 minutes, he stared at him with a blank face while counting the wrinkles on his forehead (there were many) and hearing nothing but "Blah, blah, blah" coming from his mouth. He imagined that if his father had kept going without knowing how distracted he was, then he would have gotten bored with looking at his wrinkles and would begin to daydream about he and Ryuichi getting married and buying a nice little white house on the country-side with birds chirping and flowers growing all over their love garden that they would create together. _"Oh sweet bliss!"_

"Tatsuha!" Uesugi-san yelled, and suddenly Tatsuha snapped out of his trance and found himself looking directly into his father's eyes. With a defeated sigh, the older monk put his head down and covered half his face with his left hand, leaving one of his eyes uncovered so he could look up at his youngest son. In a very annoyed tone he whispered, "You're just like your brother."

After hearing that comment, Tatsuha decided to end the "conversation" and he turned toward the hallway and headed towards the stairs.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To my room", he replied.

"Don't walk away from me! We're not through yet. I haven't ended this discussion." He said firmly.

Tatsuha stopped in his tracks at the entrance of the hallway and looked back at him. By now, his father's face was really red and his antics seemed to have only added more wrinkles to the stressed Uesugi's visage. In a mocking tone of voice Tatsuha asked, "You mean….we're NOT done talking?"

That seemed to be enough to push his father over the edge. And one of these days, he knew he'd pay for his sarcasm. But at that very moment, he didn't care.

"OF COURSE WE'RE NOT THROUGH! THIS CONVERSATION IS'NT OVER UNTIL **I** SAY IT IS!"- Immediately Uesugi-san began to cough and hack, and then he cleared his throat. Unfortunately, Tatsuha's last question had him so flustered, that he couldn't think of anything else to say. After a long pause and a moment of silence, the old man decided that that was the time for the conversation to end. "Go to your room, Tatsuha. I'll deal with you later."

The young Uesugi turned back towards the hallway. "Gladly", he whispered softly and he began walking. On his way to the stairs he passed their large living room. It was probably the biggest room in the house. They used it to entertain guest. It had a wooden floor and a large blue couch. In addition to the medium-sized TV, (The only one in the house), the room had many other fixtures, family pictures, and plants that made it very cozy. The lights were turned off but the TV was still on. "_The old man must have been watching the news and, after hearing me walk through the door, ran out of the living room while forgetting to turn the TV off", _he thought to himself.

Not really caring, he kept walking towards the stairs and no sooner did he place his foot on the first step did he hear a glorious sound.

"… _hai ni natte mo kiseki ni mada meguriaeru_(4)…"

It was Ryuichi! Ryuichi's voice echoing from the TV! He ran towards the dark living room and there on the TV was a young, female reporter showing clips of one of Nittle Grasper's concerts.

"And in other news the superstar group Nittle Grasper is going to perform the last concert of their tour this weekend at the Tokyo Dome! There's no confirmation of what the musical sensation will be planning to do afterwards yet, and some fans are planning to"-…

He just stood there in the dark, with the glow of the television's light reflecting off of him.

"_Oh my god. Ryuichi? Concert? In Tokyo? I have to go! I just have to!"_

A sudden noise coming from the kitchen startled him.

"No, Hiroshima-san, everything is fine. No, you don't have to do that. That's right."

It was his father. No doubt he was on the phone with one of their nosey neighbors. They probably heard the yelling earlier.

He quickly turned the TV off and ran up the stairs. After a quick bath, he went to his room and lied on his futon. "I must go to that concert! I must!". He thought of Ryuichi, he thought of his smile, he thought of them meeting, and soon he was fast asleep.

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So that's chap. 1! Ryuichi, Tohma, and Mika make their appearance in the next chapter.The temple I made up will play a big part in this story too, eventually. Sorry if it was a complete waste of your time to read. I tried (sweatdrops and smiles nervously) oh well. Until next chapter, later! 

(1) Kamo-no-Chomei: he was a buddhist priest from Kyoto during the late12th century. The short opening to this chapter is actually a prelude to one of his great written works entitled "Hojoki".(Quick disclaimer: I do not own "Hojoki" or that prelude)

(2) Persimmon trees: they are beautiful trees that are commonly found in Japan. There are some in America too. Some of them have blossoms.

(3) Keisatsukan: it is a Japanese word for "policemen".

(4) "...hai ni natte mo kiseki ni mada meguriaeru..." : these are lyrics taken from Nittle Grasper's "Sleepless Beauty"...which (sigh) I also do not own.


	2. Sayonara Kyoto!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gravitation!

**Warnings:** Same as chap.1

**Summary:** Same as chap.1

**Author Notes:** I promise to try to make the chapters shorter from now on. Bear with me . Chapt.2…enjoy!

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(Chapter 2: Sayonara Kyoto!)

The morning came, though he hardly recognized it by its appearance. While lying on his side, he peered through his window, but was only able to see the sky. It was clouded and gray. Tatsuha turned to face the ceiling and stretched his arms above his head, knocking over the alarm clock that was on the floor next to him.

"Mmmm…Wha-?"

Tatsuha laid his head on one of his arms, and used the other to pick up the alarm clock. He stared at it and waited for the numbers to come into focus.

"8:00! Too early!"

He snatched the comforter of his futon and covered his face, leaving his long legs bare. His black hair spread over his pillow. He tossed and turned from side to side while trying to block out the sound of birds chirping outside. The comforter wrapped itself around his body.

"Ugh! Why can't I go back to sleep!"

He sat up quickly, and the comforter fell to his waist. He grabbed his pillow and drew it into his arms. He pressed it against his chest and, squeezing it, he buried his face into it. The sound of birds chirping again caught his ear. He lifted his head and turned it towards the window.

From this position he was able to get a better view of the outside. The sky was dim and the air was thick, as if a heavy fog had descended upon the house. Tatsuha's black eyes squinted, but all he was able to see were the dark silhouettes of houses and trees. He turned his attention to his cluttered room

Clothes, magazines, and C.D.s were scattered all over the hard-wood floor along with the occasional bits of trash and soda cans. Nittle Grasper posters decorated the walls, but only one wall had one poster… the one directly in front of him.

Tatsuha turned to where he was able to face forward and a smile spread across his tired face. To the poster in front of him he said, "G'mornin' Love."

Ryuichi Sakuma looked as handsome as he did every morning, noon, and night. But for some reason, knowing that he was going to have a concert in Tokyo made Tatsuha think that his god looked twice as hot as usual. The large poster covered most of that wall and it was of Ryuichi during his last concert tour. He was wearing torn up blue jeans and a leather vest with no shirt under it, revealing a toned and very sexy body.

Tatsuha was very proud of his Nittle Grasper collection, even if his father made it a priority to tell him daily how distasteful it was…"Especially for a growing monk". The poster of only Ryuichi was his favorite. Tatsuha gave it its own wall, after all…"A singer as great as he should NEVER have to share the spotlight, so why should he share a wall?"

Tatsuha stood up and stretched his legs. Feeling a little groggy, he headed towards the bathroom across the hall while managing to step over the junk on his floor.

In the bathroom, he gazed at his reflection in the mirror. Drool stains were on his chin and his eyes were weary. His hair was extremely messy, and a lot of it covered his eyes. The stained, white T-shirt and yellow boxers he was wearing made him look even more un-kept. Tatsuha brushed his teeth and headed down the stairs without bothering to brush his hair. About half-way down he realized…

"_Hey… today's Monday! Today's the day of the Katsumi wedding! Yes!"_

He happily ran down the rest of the stairs.

"_Yes! Yes! The old man's going to perform the wedding service today. I get the house to myself! Ha ha!"_

But his feeling of excitement quickly changed to confusion and disappointment when he saw his father in the kitchen cooking breakfast.

"Good morning son", Uesugi-san greeted with a smile, "Breakfast is almost ready. Take a seat at the table."

Tatsuha's nose turned up and his eyes widened.

"Don't be that way, Tats-kun…just sit down. Be good, please."

Tatsuha stopped making faces and made his way to the table to sit down. Uesugi-san walked over to him and placed a bowl of creamed rice and a small plate of sliced pickles in front of him along with chopsticks. He then sat down and looked at his son from across the table. They both ate in silence, Tatsuha slurping his rice and Uesugi-san munching on sliced pickles. Tatsuha could feel his father's eyes on him and looked up a few times to see that they were.

"Tatsuha?"

"Yes?"

"What's happened to us? What's happened to _you_?"

"What do you mean?"

Uesugi-san sighed and watched as his son lifted a pickle slice to his face with his fingers and dropped it into his mouth. The old monk slowly shook his head at his son's bad table manners.

"You were such a good boy. Just two months ago you were so polite. You were responsible. You always did what I told you to."

Uesugi-san obviously did not know his son had a reputation before two months ago.

Tatsuha kept eating. Uesugi-san kept talking.

"You listened. You would always listen to me. We never had any problems. You were _so_ good. I never got any complaints about you, NEVER. And your training, you _never_ skipped your training. You were so excited about taking over and becoming a mo-."

Uesugi-san saw Tatsuha clench his fists and cringe before he could finish his sentence…before he could say the word "monk". He was immediately taken back to a similar conversation he had with Eiri, in which Eiri did the same thing. Realizing Tatsuha's true feelings on the subject, Uesugi-san firmed his speech.

"Tatsuha", his voice deepened, "**Do not **change your mind." Tatsuha's hung his head low as he looked down.

"You **will** become a monk. You must. It is **your** duty now. I know what this is about. It's your brother isn't it? He's put all types of thoughts into your innocent mind, hasn't he? He's such a bad influence! I knew I shouldn't have let you visit him! Listen to **me**. Don't make the same mistakes your brother-"

"So, what's going on with the Katsumi wedding?" Tatsuha interrupted, quickly changing the subject.

"I got Shohima-san to take over for me."

"Oh."

Uesugi-san looked at him, and both were silent once again. He decided to take a different approach to speaking with his son.

"So…do you like Tokyo better than Kyoto?"

Tatsuha's eyes lit up and he responded happily.

"Yes. I love Tokyo. There's so much to do there. Oh! And my favorite band is having a concert there this weekend!"

"There you go again with that 'rock music' or whatever it is. Honestly, Tats-kun, when will you get over this little 'Nipple Graber' phase of yours?"

"It's NITTLE GRASPER!"

Tatsuha was _so_ annoyed and Uesugi-san knew he had messed up again.

They were silent again. Tatsuha picked up his empty dishes and stomped towards the kitchen to wash them. Uesugi-san watched him leave the room. He then picked up his dishes and joined him.

In the kitchen, Tatsuha was scrubbing dishes at the sink. Uesugi-san walked up to him and placed his dishes in the sink for washing. He then backed away slowly and watched his son from behind. "Tatsuha", he whispered. Tatsuha continued washing dishes. "Tatsuha", he said, a little louder. Tatsuha began to scrub harder. "Tatsuha!"

"What! What do you want! Could we not talk right now! I'm tired!" Tatsuha yelled, his face flushed with anger and there was a horrible look in his eyes. Normally, Uesugi-san would not have stood for such behavior and would have yelled back. But he realized that he was partly at fault for his son's frustration and instead walked up to his son's side and placed one of his old hands on Tatsuha's shoulder. With the other, he patted his son's back. Tatsuha put down the dishes.

Uesugi-san looked up at his son's face and with puppy-dog eyes he spoke.

"Tats-chan", he wined, "I'm OLD!"

Tatsuha gave his father an extremely confused look.

"Tats-chan", he continued, "I'm OLD and SENILE!"

Tatsuha smiled and listened to his father continue.

"Tats-chan! I'm OLD, SENILE, and BALD! Don't yell at me! Please!"

Tatsuha busted out laughing. He laughed and laughed and Uesugi-san succeeded in his goal of calming him down. Pleased with himself, Uesugi-san smiled at his son. "I know you're young and you want a little more freedom," he said, "But you also need to be a little more responsible."

Tatsuha stopped laughing and looked at his father. He was no longer angry, but he did wonder what the old monk was trying to say.

"Tatsuha, I did some thinking last night, and I decided that you should go to Tokyo for the remainder of the summer. You seem to need some space. Maybe Tokyo will be a good change of scenery. Are you o.k. with that?"

Tatsuha was so happy he could barely hide it.

"_I get to go to Tokyo? For the rest of the summer? Yes! Yes! I get to be away from home! I don't have to listen to my father! I get to see Shuichi. I can go to the concert!"_

Tatsuha said yes and asked when he would be leaving.

"Tomorrow."

"Yeah! I'll go pack my bags!" But before he could run out of the kitchen, Uesugi-san stopped him.

"Wait," he said, "We need to set some ground rules."

Tatsuha let out a very upsetting groan.

"Now, now, just hear me out." Uesugi-san went into serious mode. "You get to go to Tokyo, but the whole point of this is to learn some responsibility. You will work at a temple and continue your studies. I know the monks who run it. They are good people."

"What!", Tatsuha objected.

"I'm not finished. You _will not _be staying with your brother or that… that _thing_ he keeps in his house."

"His name's Shuichi." Tatsuha claimed.

"Whatever, you can't stay with them."

"Why not?"

"Because he's a bad influence Tatsuha. No, no, I won't have it."

"_This trip doesn't sound like fun anymore."_ Tatsuha thought. Uesugi-san kept going.

"Instead, you will be staying with your sister, Mika. Do not cause trouble for her or Tohma. You will be good the entire time, understand? She will be keeping a close eye on you and she'll report back to me if you do anything stupid. Don't do anything stupid Tatsuha, _please_. I _will_ take you home if I have too." With that said Uesugi-san waited for a response.

Tatsuha thought for a minute. He wanted to say no. He wanted to tell his father that none of what he was just told sounded like he was getting any space. But the idea of seeing Ryuichi Sakuma lingered in his mind and he didn't want to give up that chance.

"O.k., I'll go pack now."

He ran up the stairs to his room and grabbed his bags. Then he began packing.

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"_Who_ will be staying with us!"

"Tatsuha!" she answered, "I told you two times this morning. Were you listening?"

Tohma Seguchi put his pen down next to a stack of already signed important papers and sighed into the phone. He was wearing his patented smile.

"I'm so sorry, I guess I was so busy dealing with the contracts for NG's newest artists my mind must have been somewhere else."

"Well, Tatsuha will be here by tomorrow afternoon," Mika replied. She could hear her husband breathing into the phone on the other end of the line.

"Why is he coming?"

"My father called last night and asked if he could."

"Uesugi-san?"

"Yes, who else would it be?"

Tohma paused. Mika sat in a chair in the Seguchi house and rubbed her manicured toes against the carpet. She moved the phone from her left ear to her right and raised her left hand to massage that side of her neck. Tohma knew what he wanted to say, and when he finally thought of a way to say it without upsetting his wife, he spoke.

"Tatsuha, huh? I wonder if they aren't getting along. To be honest Mika, Tatsuha isn't the easiest person to handle. And I for one would rather not deal with having him in our house."

"That's not fair, Tohma! Eiri can be just as unbearable at times but you don't complain. Tatsuha isn't bad. He's just…he's just." Surprised that she couldn't even come up with a good word to describe her youngest brother and afraid that she had just proven her husband's case, Mika quickly started a new sentence.

"Come on, Tohma. My father's been very stressed over Tatsuha lately. He's so worried about him. He needs a little alone time, so he can relax. He wants to give Tatsuha time, too. That's all he asks for."

"So he's going to dump his _problem_ on us? Mika, I love you and your family, but I don't have time. There's so much to do in the office and the concert's coming up fast. It's this weekend!"

"I know, I know…but you don't have to worry about him," Mika persuaded, "I'll keep an eye on him and make sure he stays out of your way. You _won't_ have to deal with him." Mika was beginning to believe that she was trying to convince her husband to let her have a puppy.

"I--"

"Seguchi-san," the secretary's voice came in through the desk's speaker, "Your 12:30 lunch date is here."

"Good," Tohma said, "Send him in."

The door to Tohma's office opened. He covered the phone's speaker with his hand. "I'll be right with you in a sec, just make yourself comfortable on the couch," he whispered.

Tohma spoke into the phone again. "What was I going to say? Oh yes, I guess its fine with me if he stays…if it's fine with you. Will you be o.k. watching over Tatsuha by yourself?"

"I'm sure I can handle it. He's my brother after all. Besides, I won't do it by myself. I'll have help from the monks of a nearby temple." Mika was a little unsure of her answer.

"O.K., I'll see you tonight. Goodbye." Tohma hung up the phone.

He heard the sound of springs squeaking and laughter. Tohma shifted in his seat and looked around his clean and extravagantly decorated office. Across the room he saw a man bouncing on his couch, waving a pink bunny in the air.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! Bouncy! Bouncy! Bouncy! Bouncy!"

"Ryuichi-san, please don't mess up that couch. It's Italian leather," Tohma sighed.

"Hey, hey! Tohma! Who were you talking to, na no da?"

"Mika." Tohma got up from behind his desk and walked towards Ryuichi, who had a gleam of curiosity in his eyes.

"What about?" Ryuichi asked, hugging Kumagoro tighter.

"Nothing you need to worry about," Tohma answered, "Where do you want to go for lunch?"

Ryuichi acted like he didn't hear Tohma's last question. "Was it about the concert this weekend? Oh, I'm so excited, na no da!"

He got up from the couch and ran to the huge office window, from which he got a perfect view of Tokyo. Tohma smiled and wondered if he was ever going to be able to get his friend and band mate to be still for once.

"I'm excited too, Ryuichi-san. It _is_ the last concert of our tour after all."

Ryuichi pressed his hands against the window, and a serious look reflected onto the glass from his face. His voice suddenly changed. It was deep, like in his songs. "It's not just that, Tohma. I've got a _feeling_. A very strong _feeling_, like something _amazing_ is going to happen after the concert."

Ryuichi looked down at the pink bunny in his arms and his tone was cheerful again. "Kumagoro agrees with me, na no da. He feels it too!"

Tohma looked at his friend and felt an eerie chill go down his spine. "Yeah, Ryuichi-san, I think I feel it too."

Ryuichi looked back out the window at the busy streets of Tokyo.

"We're gonna rock, na no da! So get ready Tokyo!" he yelled excitedly.

Tohma joined his friend at the window and lifted his head. He looked at the buildings of Tokyo and softly spoke. "Yeah, Tokyo," he whispered, "_you better get ready_."

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"I'm gone, Pops!" Tatsuha yelled, running out of the house with luggage in his hands. It was the day when he would leave Kyoto and he excitedly headed towards the driveway. Uesugi-san followed him out the door quickly.

"Uh, where do you think you're going?" the old monk asked, adjusting his robe.

"Um, to Tokyo?" asked his confused son.

"Not on that death-bike, you're not!"

"Why can't I take my motorcycle?"

"Because, son, it's dangerous. Do you know how much traffic there is in Tokyo? It's an accident waiting to happen!"

Tatsuha rolled his eyes.

"Besides," he continued, "I won't have you riding about all over Tokyo by yourself whenever you want to!" Uesugi-san began to mumble to himself, "Letting a teenager loose in Tokyo! Hmph! It's like setting a lion loose in a meat factory! Letting teenagers loose in Tokyo, the very idea! It's nonsense!"

"Then how _am_ I going to get there?"

"Your sister is going to drive you!" Uesugi-san beamed happily, "She should be here any minute now."

Tatsuha dropped his luggage and looked at the ground.

"Be grateful!"

Tatsuha lifted his head and his black eyes lit up. He smiled and approached his father. "I am!" he placed his hands on his father's shoulders and looked at him dead in the eyes, "And I'd be even more grateful if I could have some spending money."

Uesugi-san's wrinkled face contorted into a dramatic facial expression of disgust. He was appalled!

"You must think money grows in our backyard! Are you crazy!" Tatsuha loosened his grip and the smile disappeared from his face.

"Well, you would think that since we have such a successful family…"

"Successful for them doesn't necessarily mean successful for us, Tatsuha." Uesugi-san replied, "Lending _you_ spending money? For _Tokyo_? Pigs will sooner fly out of my ass!"

"Didn't you have pork for dinner last night?" Tatsuha chuckled, "Ya know, sooner or later--"

"Don't be a smart-ass!" his father replied.

"How do you expect me to get some money?" Tatsuha asked.

Uesugi-san walked over to a large stone in the yard and sat down. "I don't know Tatsuha. You figure it out. I'm getting a headache." He sighed and held his head.

Just then a beautiful, red Mercedes Benz drove up to the house. The expensive American automobile was so out of place in that part of Kyoto that it caught the attention of several neighbors. The car door on the driver's side opened and out stepped a woman wearing a designer mini-skirt, a designer blouse, and designer sunglasses. She wore black gloves that came up no farther then her small wrists, and red lipstick. Her long brown hair fell over her shoulders past the cleavage she was revealing. Her high heels clicked against the pathway leading to the Uesugi household as she walked towards the two men, and with a graceful smile she lifted her sunglasses off of her eyes and rested them on the top of her head.

"Mika! It's great to see you again!" Uesugi-san hopped off the stone and gave his daughter a hug.

"Has it really been that long?" she inquired.

"Oh, you just don't know how long!" the old man seemed over-joyed and he hugged his daughter tighter. Mika turned her attention to her youngest brother, who was facing the opposite direction with his head down. He began scuffing the sole of his shoe against the ground.

"Tatsuha!" Mika wore a big smile as she raised her hand in the air and struck her brother's back with a loud smack.

"Ouch!" Tatsuha turned around immediately.

"Tatsuha!", Mika beamed, "Is that how you greet your lovely sister? With your back turned to her?"

Tatsuha put on a fake smile and rubbed his back. "No, Mika,…", he mumbled quietly through gritted teeth, "…but I can think of another way."

Tatsuha's fist clenched and a vein throbbed in his forehead, but he still wore a smile. His father, standing next to him, heard his son's mumbling and nudged him with his shoulder. His son got the hint.

"It's great to see you, sis."

"Good to see you too." she answered

The old man decided to speak up, "Tatsuha, why don't you go put your bags in the car?"

Tatsuha picked up his luggage and walked over to the car.

Uesugi-san faced his daughter and they stared at each other for a while. Mika was the first to break the silence.

"I know what you want to say."

"What?"

"I know what you want to say," she repeated, "You just can't seem to say it. Don't worry, I'll tell him for you."

Uesugi-san put his hands in the sleeves of his robe while folding his arms and sighed. He stared off into the direction of the driveway and watched as Tatsuha struggled with piling his bags into the trunk of the car. He frowned at the many swear words he heard his son mumbling.

"Don't worry." Mika placed a hand on her father's shoulder, "Everything will be fine. I'll call you if there are problems. Just use this time to try and relax."

"Without you, Mika, I do not know what I'd do." Uesugi-san smiled at his daughter.

They both joined Tatsuha, who had just finished wrestling with the trunk. After short goodbyes, Mika and Tatsuha got in the car and backed out of the driveway. Uesugi-san followed the car into the street while waving goodbye. He stood there until the car was no longer in sight.

The old monk slowly brought the hand he was waving with down to his side and stared in the direction the car had driven. Uesugi-san felt an eerie chill go down his spine and he clutched his robe. In a soft voice, he whispered…

"… I feel so…_cold_."

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Tatsuha forced himself to sit through the awkward silence in the car. Afraid of bringing up any topics that would provoke his sister's natural tendency to nag and speak her mind, he just kept quiet. Instead, he fidgeted and looked out of the window.

At a stoplight, Mika finally had enough of the silence and spoke.

"So, Tatsuha…"she began, only to turn towards her brother and find that she was speaking to the back of his head. "… are you excited about your trip to Tokyo?"

Tatsuha turned his head while still avoiding Mika's gaze and responded in a brief, un-assuring grunt. When the car began to move again he snapped his head back in its original position and watched the outside scenery pass by.

Mika replied with an upsetting grunt of her own and then focused all of her attention on the road, determined to get back to Tokyo as fast as she could.

The car sped up along with Tatsuha's heartbeat when realization struck and the excitement of leaving Kyoto for Tokyo sunk in. He watched buildings fly by his window and caught a glimpse of Rei-Ookawa temple from the corner of his eye. As it passed, Tatsuha was able to see some of its features. It looked empty, about as empty as when he left it. And for some strange reason, he felt some sort of remorse for leaving it. His head turned towards it and his eyes followed it as it completely passed his window. He watched as the temple shrank further and further into the distance.

When he could no longer see it he faced forward in the car, looked ahead, and whispered: _"Sayonara."_

* * *

Thanks for reading! See you next chapter.


	3. Wani TV

**Disclaimer:** Gravitation does not belong to me!

**Warnings:** Still the same as last time.

**Summary:** Do I really need to repeat this?

**Author Notes:** Hey! It's been a while. I've been busy, but here it is! Um…or at least half of it. I think it's a little shorter, I'm not sure. Oh well. Bon appetite!

(Chapter 3: Wani T.V. part1)

"COME ON PEOPLE! HUSTLE! 20 MINUTES 'TILL SHOWTIME!"

On the ground floor of a television studio, there were several cameras pointing towards a very large stage. On the left side of the stage there was a Yamaha keyboard that was all set up and ready to be played. On the right side, sat a man holding what looked like a brand new guitar. After humming a few bars, he would gently stroke the guitar strings and stop to adjust them when he hit a sour note. He continued to strum the guitar and hum until he was satisfied with its tune.

A loud 'clash' sound caught the attention of several people, who looked to the back of the stage to see that a crew member had clumsily tripped and dropped one of the symbols for the drum set that was being put together. A musician was now standing over him and scolding him, impatiently waving a drumstick in his face.

Below, several cords connected the instruments to large amps that surrounded the stage. Above, were several lighting rigs with neon lights that were ready to glow with a flip of a switch. And in the center of the stage's background was a giant sign with bright colored letters that spelled out the words: "Hit Stage."

"HURRY! WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME."

In the control room, papers flew everywhere as members of the production team ran past each other and rushed for the wall of video monitors. Technicians began to perform last minute checks on the microphones.

"_Check! Check! 1, 2, 3…o.k.! Mics are a go! Sound system's ready!" _

Up on a high platform in the studio, electricians quickly worked on the lighting.

"_Point the fluorescent blue light this way. No, this way! Towards your left!" _

The television crew ran on and off the stage making sure it looked just right, and cameramen checked the camera control units for broadcasting. Through all the hectic pushing and shoving, a very impatient Floor Manager stomped his foot repeatedly and waved his arms frantically in the air. He barked orders into the microphone of his headset, and each order echoed throughout the studio.

"I NEED HOSTS ON THE SET NOW! 10 MINUTES 'TILL SHOWTIME, PEOPLE! COME ON! LET'S MOVE IT!"

The floor manager plopped down in a chair and watched as musicians began to hurry to their instruments. The lead singer began to warm up and the camera crew gave their 'thumbs up' to let everyone know they were ready to role. Everyone seemed to believe that everything was going according to schedule…everyone except the floor manager, and with each second passing he became even more anxious.

"Damn it!" he yelled, as he hoisted himself to his feet, "Where's Koujima-san with those papers? Get him here now!"

Within seconds a young man showed up at his boss's side with a cup of coffee in one hand and several papers in the other.

"Damn, Koujima! Could you have been any slower?" the manager growled.

Hands shaking from nervousness, Koujima-san handed over the papers. He quickly caught his breath and, in an attempt to keep his boss calm, he began to explain himself.

"I-I'm sorry sir. There was a problem over in one of the control rooms. It took me awhile. I got the papers as fast as I could--"

"Well you're not moving fast enough! No one here is moving fast enough!"

Koujima-san quickly put his head down and looked at his feet. "I'm trying, sir. I really am," he whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Damn right you're sorry!" his boss replied.

Koujima looked up and saw that the disgruntled manager had moved closer to him. And before he could speak again his boss reached out, grabbed the coffee in his hand, and snatched it away.

"I can't believe I have to deal with this! Why am I the one having to do all the work? I guess if you want something done right, you can't depend on lackeys" the manager mumbled, and with that said he took a long sip of the coffee. A very stunned Koujima-san stood there and watched. His mouth was wide open.

"Um, excuse me sir," he whispered, "but, um, that's _my_ coffee--"

"And it is very good coffee, Koujima" his boss claimed, and he continued to drink. When there was no more, the manager licked his lips and handed an empty cup back to his employee.

Koujima-san could do nothing but stare at the cup in his hand. In his dazed state he failed to notice that his boss had left his side and was now walking towards a television monitor.

"Koujima-san, stop daydreaming! There's work to be done!"

The young assistant snapped out of his trance and quickly ran up behind his boss, who was watching the two young people on the television screen introduce themselves as the hosts of 'Hit Stage'.

But before he could make it back to the manager's side, he was pulled away by an assistant producer with news of an urgent phone call. About five minutes later, Koujima-san came rushing towards his boss, who was now barking orders at frustrated cameramen.

"SIR!" he yelled.

The floor manager turned towards Koujima with an angry expression on his face. "QUIET ON THE SET!" he yelled back.

Koujima-san lowered his voice, but he could barely keep his boss's attention.

"Sir," he said softly, "There's a phone call--"

"Hush, Koujima! Not now!

Trying desperately to get his boss to listen, Koujima began to tug on his boss's sleeve.

"B-But, sir--!"

"Be quiet, Koujima!"

"But sir! The phone--!"

"What is it, Koujima! What do you want! Can't you see I'm busy!"

Koujima-san gulped, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and yelled…

"Seguchi-san! Seguchi-san is on the phone right now!"

Koujima-san breathed in and out heavily and opened his eyes to see a dumbstruck manager staring at him.

"Seguchi-san?" he asked as he began to stroke his chin…and then he realized…

"Seguchi-san! _The_ Tohma Seguchi-san of N-G? Why didn't you say so in the first place?" he scolded, and Koujima let out a long sigh.

"Quickly! Take it to the C.E.O.! What are you waiting for? Hurry!"

Obeying orders, Koujima rushed to the elevator and rode it all the way to the top of the building, where the president of Wani television productions was working in his office.

Koujima ran past the secretary (who strongly objected to his presence) and tapped the glass window of the locked office door. A middle-aged man looked up from his desk to see Koujima desperately trying to wrestle his way out of the secretary's grip and open the door at the same time. He gave the signal and the secretary released him. He then got up and opened the door.

"Kannagi-san," Koujima panted, "there's an important phone call--"

"Tell them to hold, I'm busy right now." The president turned back towards his desk and sat down.

"B-But…"

"Run along now. Back to work," Kannagi-san insisted.

"But it's Seguchi-san of N-G!"

"Seguchi-san? Why didn't you say so?" The president picked up the phone and pointed towards the door.

Koujima-san slowly walked out of the office. As he passed through the door, he said quietly to himself, "They don't pay me enough for this!"

Kannagi-san pressed the phone to his ear and leaned back in his chair. "Ah, Seguchi-san!" he said cheerfully, "What a surprise! It seems like we haven't spoken in ages!" Back at N-G, Tohma was in his office. He sat at his desk with the phone to his ear. With a smile on his face, he spoke.

"Yes, it certainly seems that way."

"Let's see…," Kannagi-san began. He lifted his legs up and placed his feet on the top of his desk. "The last time we spoke…you wanted Nittle Grasper on Hit Stage! Instead of that other band…what's it called…um?"

"Bad Luck," Tohma answered with a soft and short laugh.

"Oh yes! Bad Luck! You'll have to forgive me, Seguchi-san, my memory often fails me."

"Do not worry about it, Kannagi-san. No apologies are necessary."

Kannagi-san cleared his throat. "So, Nittle Grasper wants another spot on Hit Stage. Done! What day is good for you? I can have you in the studio tomorrow if you'd like."

"That's not the reason I called at all."

Kannagi-san went silent and thought for a while. "Well then…," he said curiously, "what can I do for you?"

Tohma's smile grew wider into a very large grin as he answered the C.E.O.'s question.

"Well actually, I have a little proposition for you…"

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Tatsuha stood, bags in hand and jaw dropped, in front of a huge three-story mansion on the outskirts of Tokyo. As his eyes gazed at it, he lifted his head up to see the very top floor and his mouth opened even wider from shock. His sister passed in front of him and reached for the doorknob. As she opened the door, she looked back at him.

"Are you coming in? Or are you going to stand there all day long?"

Tatsuha snapped out of his daze and followed Mika through the door. But once inside, he fell under the same shock and dropped his bags on the floor. The rooms were beautiful and everything looked expensive. Passing a few extra rooms that were much bigger than what he was used to, he made his way into a room with a coffee table and two large couches. Mika was already sitting in one of them.

"Nice Digs, sis," he said with a grin, as he stretched his arms over his head. "You've been holdin' out on us, huh?"

"No, not really. Tohma and I moved here about two months ago. Father knew about it." She replied, and she crossed one of her legs over the other.

At that moment, a woman wearing a maid's uniform walked in with two cups of tea on a tray. She placed one cup on the table and the other she handed to Mika. She then bowed to her and dismissed herself. Mika sipped from the tea cup and from the corner of her eye she saw that her brother had walked to the other end of the room. He was rubbing his fingers across the surface of a vase.

"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" she yelled.

Mika put her tea down on the table and stood up.

"Have a seat, Tatsuha," she commanded firmly. She then pointed towards the couch directly opposite from where she was sitting. "Don't touch anything."

The young monk turned and slowly walked to the couch. He sat down and attempted to make himself comfortable by shifting around, while his sister sat and impatiently watched. When he was finished, he picked up the other cup of tea. Mika stared at him and he started to feel a little uneasy. Then she started to speak.

"I can see that we're probably going to start having problems." She looked down into her tea cup and the room seemed motionless. No one spoke. Not one sound was made. Mika began to feel a little uneasy herself…and uncomfortable. She slowly raised her eyes to meet with his, but instead caught sight of something that angered her.

Tatsuha had placed both of his feet on top of the coffee table. He had slouched in his seat and his eyes were closed.

"Wake up Tatsuha!"

He jolted up quickly, and Mika slapped one of his legs.

"Feet off the table! What's wrong with you? And listen to me when I speak!"

Tatsuha moved his feet off of the table and rubbed his sore leg.

"Listen Tatsuha, if we're going to stay together you're going to have to do what you're told and follow rules. I hope you don't think I'm just going to let you run around and do whatever it is you do."

Tatsuha yawned, which only ticked her off even more.

"Now," she continued, "The monks at the temple you're supposed to work at aren't ready for you yet, so you won't actually continue your studies until next week."

"_Yes! Yes! Yes!_" was all that ran through his mind and Mika realized that it was getting harder to keep his attention.

"This is important. You can not bother Tohma at all. Don't speak to him unless you're spoken to. Don't touch him. Don't look at him. Don't even think about him. In fact, I arranged it so that your bedroom will be on the other side of the house. That way, we can avoid any unnecessary contact."

"I'm so glad you care so much about me," he replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"You should be. Now, I actually have some errands to run today, so I can't really spend time with you."

"_Is this some kind of excuse?_" he thought to himself.

I've already ordered a limo, so I'll be leaving shortly. Go to your room and unpack. STAY IN THIS HOUSE, I have eyes watching you."

On that note, the same maid from before re-entered the room and told Tatsuha to kindly follow her up the stairs. He grabbed his bags, and walked behind her to his room.

The room was located on the second floor of the mansion. It was secluded…far away from any other bedrooms. When Tatsuha entered he was surprised to see how large it was. It had three big windows, a bookshelf, a stereo (that for some odd reason kept playing classical Mozart), a large bed, and its very own bathroom.

The first thing he did when he entered the room was look out the window. It was a beautiful clear day and a limo had already pulled up to the side of the mansion. Tatsuha turned to his bed and unzipped one of his bags. He turned it upside down and dumped all of his clothes on top of it. After arranging it into a pile, he did the same thing to another bag until there was a huge mountain of clothes where his bed should've been.

The maid stood in the doorway and watched in awe.

"Excuse me, sir." She spoke very quietly.

Tatsuha looked up at her questionably. "Yes?"

"Um, I don't think that's what the lady of the house meant when she said to unpack."

"Oh, I know," he replied with a smile. "Has she left yet?"

"Yes. Miss Mika has just left in the limo."

It was then that Tatsuha was struck with a brilliant idea. He got off the bed and walked to the old woman in the doorway. With a smile on his face, he turned on his famous Uesugi charm.

"It sure is a shame she has such a pretty woman cleaning this big house. It must be tiring."

The maid blushed and touched her cheek as the young monk continued to approach her, getting closer and closer.

"No, not really." She smiled, "I'm used to it by now."

"Oh, but it _must _be tiring. You probably should relax…um…what's your name?

He placed his hand on her shoulder and she turned bright red.

"I-It's Rin. P-P-Please call me Rin," she stuttered.

"Rin. That's a pretty name."

The old woman giggled.

"Well, Rin. Do you think you could do me a big favor?"

"Sure!"

Tatsuha leaned towards her and whispered in her ear, "Where does Miss Mika keep her car keys?"

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The 'clacking' sound of computer keys filled the room, along with cigarette smoke. The famed romance novelist typed away on his computer, determined to meet a deadline. After he completed the page he was working on, he paused before starting the next one. He leaned back in his chair and took another long puff of his cigarette before putting it out in a nearby ashtray. He looked up at the ceiling, sighed, closed his eyes, and ran one of his hands through his blonde hair. It was quiet. He sat in complete silence…complete silence…comple-BOOM!

Eiri Uesugi jumped in his chair from the loud noise.

The sound of footsteps running back and forth in the other room immediately followed.

"That idiot." He mumbled to himself, and he got up from his chair and walked through the doorway. In the hallway, he yelled "Hey idiot! Didn't I tell you I'm working? I have a deadline! So shut up!"

He stood and waited for a reply, but no one answered. The noise continued only it had gotten louder, and an annoyed Eiri followed it into the main room.

"Damn it, brat! I said-" In the middle of his sentence, Eiri stepped on something. He bent over and picked up a jacket from under his foot. It was bright, neon yellow (a color that made him cringe at its sight). "What the hell?" he whispered and as he looked back down he found a trail of clothing leading to one of the apartment's bedrooms. He followed it, picking up each piece of clothing until he reached the door. With his arms full of bright colored cosplay costumes, he pushed open the door.

"WHAT THE HELL!"

He dropped everything. There were clothes all over the floor and bed. There were horrible clashes of bright colors and crazy patterns everywhere.

"What's going on?"

And then, from behind one pile of clothing, a pink-haired boy made a quick dash straight towards him. The author raised his fist, and struck his lover on the head.

"Waaahh! Yuukkiii!"

Shuichi was teary-eyed, and he pouted as he looked at his cruel Yuki. "Why'd you hit me? You're so mean." He rubbed his head.

"What did you do to my apartment!"

Shuichi smiled (as if nothing happened). "I'm picking out clothes for the Nittle Grasper concert, silly! Remember? The one you promised to take me to if I didn't embarrass or bother you for a whole week?"

"Oh yeah," Eiri sighed, "I still can't believe you pulled that off."

He picked up another shirt from the ground and examined it carefully, while thinking "_What awful taste._"

"Hmm…?" Eiri turned to Shuichi, who was bouncing from joy over by another pile of clothing. "Hey, baka, this looks too big for you." He pointed towards a pair of pants on the floor. "And that…", and again towards another pair, "And that…and that…_all_ of these look too big for you."

"That's 'cause they're not for _me_. They're for _you_!" Shuichi grinned.

"…..what?"

"Yep," he swooned, "The only problem I'm having right now is finding something that'll complement your awesome eyes. Look, Yuki."

Shuichi's smile widened as he held up an orange, shredded T-shirt. "Try this on."

"No."

"But you promised--"

"No."

"But--"

"Hell No."

Shuichi's eyes grew large. "Yuki…"

"I said no. Drop dead."

"Yuki, you promised me. You said you'd do whatever I'd want if I'd go away, and I did. You can't wear a suit to the concert."

Eiri walked off saying something in a low voice and no sooner did he re-enter the main room did Shuichi catch up to him.

"It's not fair!"

Eiri turned to him and growled, "Listen! You--!"

A pounding on the front door interrupted him, and when he answered it, he was not pleased.

"Hello, aniki!"

Tatsuha stood in front of him, and Eiri frowned.

"What are _you_ doing here?"

"I'm glad to see you too", he answered, as he pushed himself past the doorway and into the apartment.

He immediately received greetings from Shuichi, despite his brother's cold welcoming.

"Hey Tatsuha!"

"What's up Shu-chan? How's it goin'?" Tatsuha smiled and then looked at Eiri.

"Get out."

"Awww. Don't cha want to ask how I've been Eiri? It's been forever!"

"It's been five months. That's hardly long enough. Does Mika know you're here?"

Eiri pulled out a cigarette and lit it as he waited for his younger brother to answer him. Tatsuha laughed it off.

"Don't worry about her. It's been taken care of."

"Whatever." Eiri blew out a puff of smoke and began heading towards his office. "I'll leave you girls to chat. Keep it down!"

When he was gone, Shuichi smiled at Tatsuha, "That's my Yuki!"

He sat on the floor and Tatsuha joined him. When he found the right moment he spoke. "Shu-chan, I'll cut straight to the chase. There's a Nittle Grasper concert coming up fast."

"I know! Yuki's taking me! Isn't that awesome!"

Tatsuha was filled with excitement. "You're going? This is great! That's what I wanted to hear. Do you think you could get me tickets? I--"

"Sorry." Shuichi shook his head back and forth, "But I only have two and they're for me and Yuki."

Tatsuha lowered his eyes. His excitement faded and Shuichi began to feel sorry for him.

"I'm sorry Tatsuha. I wish I could help you…hey! Why don't you ask Seguchi-san?"

Tatsuha stared at Shu-chan as he jumped to his feet. "What?"

"Yeah, it's a great idea! If he can't get you in no one can!"

"I don't know about that Shuichi. That might not work in my case."

"It'll be fine. I know where he's working today."

Shuichi pulled on Tatsuha's arm, "C'mon! I'll go get Yuki to drive us."

"That's o.k." Tatsuha smirked. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a set of car keys, "I've got a car!"

"Then let's go!"

"YES! Please! Both of you shut up and go! Then I could have some quiet!" Eiri's voice echoed throughout the room.

Tatsuha got up and followed Shuichi out the door. His resolve was stronger than ever.

"Damn it! I _will_ get into that concert!"

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So, that's the first half of this chapter. Things are gonna get interesting from here on out. You'll see what I'm talking about once I get around to posting the next half. But anyway, I hope you liked it!

And for those who might be curious, Wani T.V. is the actual name of the company that produces "Hit Stage" in the manga. I didn't make it up, I just used it. It's in number 5.

Until the next half, see ya!


	4. Wani TV part2

**Disclaimer**- Gravitation is not mine!

**Warnings**- still the same

**Summary**- yeah, can't repeat it. I'm not a parrot.

**Author Notes**- It's been awhile! I updated my profile.

(Chapter 3: Wani T.V. part 2)

"This is the place?"

Tatsuha drove past a large fifteen story building with "WTV" in giant letters at the top. Shuichi rode in the passenger seat and pointed at it. His finger pressed against the window, leaving a smudged finger print.

"Yeah, that's it," Shuichi answered, "pull over."

The red Mercedes pulled up along side a curb and parked outside of a restaurant a couple of buildings down. Tatsuha stepped out onto the street and Shuichi hopped out of the passenger side energetically. He wore a hat that completely covered his pink hair. Tatsuha stood next to him and smiled.

"You ready Shuichi?" he grinned.

"Wait a sec." Shuichi patted himself down and pulled out a pair of sunglasses from his pocket. He put them on to complete his disguise, then looked up at Tatsuha.

"Now I am," he smiled back, "let's go."

They walked down the curb towards the building and passed through crowds of people. Among them was a small group of high school girls dressed in their school uniforms. One girl with long black hair turned towards them and suddenly let out a high pitched scream.

"EEEEEEK!"

She pointed directly at Shuichi, "Oh My God, Oh My God! It's _HIM_!!

The other girls turned around and spotted him. They screamed also, and before long the air was filled with high pitched shrieks that could've been heard several blocks away.

"Aaaahhhh! You're right Miko, it is him!"

"Oh my God!" "Eeeek! Can I have your autograph?"

"Damn it! My cover's blown!" Shuichi whispered, and he ran behind Tatsuha with the intent of using him as a shield. Reporters in front of the building heard the girls and ran towards them. They pushed through the large crowd of fans that were now surrounding the two boys.

Without thinking, Tatsuha pushed Shuichi further behind him and spread both of his arms out wide. With one arm he blocked the path of screaming fan girls and with the other he stopped raging reporters.

"Where's K when you need him?" Shuichi panicked.

"So much for your disguise." Tatsuha replied. He then turned towards a male reporter, who had somehow gotten past him.

The reporter grabbed onto Shuichi's arm. "Just one question for the fans!" he yelled.

Tatsuha grabbed the man's collar and with a strong heave he pulled him back into the crowd. "Back off! Leave him alone!"

The crowd got too aggressive for him, and Tatsuha collapsed under the pressure of pushing and shoving. He fell backwards, on top of Shuichi. The sudden plummet sent Shuichi's sunglasses flying, and a crazed girl caught them. She raised them high into the air and waved them back and forth. "I've got them! I've got _Sakuma-san's_ sunglasses!"

"Sakuma-san?" Tatsuha lifted his head towards the girl, "Sakuma-san? Where?"

Shuichi grunted under the weight of Tatsuha on top of him, "They mean me. Ugh,… Tatsuha you're heavy. Please get off."

Tatsuha got up and pulled Shuichi to his feet. The young lead singer brushed himself off and looked into one of the reporters' camera. There was an annoyed expression on his face.

A reporter jumped between him and the camera and began reporting his story. "What a special surprise folks! I'm standing right now, in front of the Wani television station with _the_ Sakuma Ryuichi-san!" The reporter turned to Shuichi. "Sakuma-san, everyone's looking forward to your concert this weekend. What can you tell us about the up-coming performance?"

A vein began to throb in Shuichi forehead, and he grabbed the microphone from the reporter's hand. "I can't _tell_ you _anything_!" he yelled into the mic. He gently pushed the reporter out of the way and looked directly into the camera. "I am _not_ Sakuma-san! Don't you know who I am? Can't you tell the difference?"

The crowd let out random sighs of disappointment, and then became curious. Who could this stranger be if not Sakuma-san?

Shuichi growled, "I'm—mrymph!"

Tatsuha jumped in and covered Shuichi's mouth. He finished his sentence for him.

"He's a Sakuma impersonator. He was paid to show up here for a comedy they're filming today. Ha-Ha! I guess his costume might look a little too real, huh?"

He smiled at the crowd, but the people were not happy. They began to disperse. The group of girls sighing and walking one way, the reporters cutting camera's off and walking the other way.

Shuichi was still fuming, and Tatsuha patted his back to calm him down.

Shuichi felt something poke at his side and looked down. A hand reached out to him and in it was a pair of sunglasses. The high school girl who had caught Shuichi's glasses was now looking into his eyes with a feeling of disappointment and remorse.

"Here are your sunglasses," she sighed, "sorry 'bout that."

Shuichi took in a deep breath and smiled. "No problem. Really, it's o.k." and he let her keep them. The girl thanked him. She bowed and walked away.

"WAIT!"

Tatsuha jumped in front of her. After hearing a crowd screaming for Sakuma, he wanted answers.

"What's going on? Why were you all waiting out here for Sakuma-san?"

The girl smiled and began to clutch the skirt of her uniform. She was just now getting a good look at him, and realizing how good-looking he was.

"Well…we've all been hearing rumors of N-G collaborating with Wani on some special project. They say that Nittle Grasper is going to be in this building to meet with WTV's president today!"

In Tatsuha's excitement, he rushed into the building and completely forgot about Shuichi (who apologized to the girl for Tatsuha's hurry and then ran after him).

Tatsuha reached the lobby of WTV. It was an extremely large room. The floor was white marble tile, with blue tile that formed a giant "W". The ceiling was high in the air and plated with mirror tiles. There were elevators at the left and right sides of the room, and in the middle to the back was a very wide white desk where several secretaries worked.

A young girl with short hair wearing a short sky-blue dress and matching mini purse was talking to one of the secretaries. Tatsuha watched her talk to the woman, giggling and laughing. The woman at the desk handed the young girl a special V.I.P. tag. The girl put the pass in her purse and walked past him to the elevators.

"Ah!" Shuichi yelped as he ran into Tatsuha's back and hit the floor. He rubbed his head, "Ouch. How many times am I gonna eat the floor today?"

Shuichi got up and glared at Tatsuha. "Hey! What's the deal? Running off so suddenly and leaving me? And why'd you stop in the middle of the walkway?!"

"Where do you think Tohma could be?" Tatsuha asked, completely ignoring Shuichi's questions.

"Don't know. Let's go look for him." Shuichi walked to the elevators and Tatsuha followed.

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The boardroom where Nittle Grasper met with Wani's C.E.O. was one of the most luxurious meeting rooms the building had to offer. It was spacious, with blue walls. In the middle of the room was a long black table that stretched from one end of the room to the other. It was lined with thirty-one black leather chairs in all, the largest being at one end. The blue wall behind the large chair had a huge TV used for demonstrations. The wall adjacent to it boasted three-hundred and twenty-four golden plaques for best TV production, all of which were polished and lined neatly in rows.

Kannagi-san sat in his large leather chair and flipped through the papers in front of him. Tohma Seguchi sat in the chair to his right, while Ryuichi Sakuma and Noriko Ukai sat next to each other to his left. While Tohma, Noriko, and Kannagi talked business, Ryuichi talked to his bunny.

"Kumagoro, I'm bored." He yawned. He looked around the room and saw Noriko tapping her pen on the table's surface next to him. Tohma was directly across from him listening intently to whatever it was the president was saying and nodding his head repeatedly.

Ryu bounced Kumagoro on his leg. "This room is too big," he whispered to his bunny, "it makes me anxious. I can't sit still." He looked up at the clock on the wall and saw that it was almost 6:00.

"I really hope this doesn't take long Kuma-chan. We can't miss our appointment." A deep sigh escaped Ryu's lips, "I have something _important _to do there."

As he looked down at Kumagoro, he noticed a stain on its bowtie.

"Ah! Kuma-chan! You have a giant smudge on your bowtie!"

In the background Tohma and Noriko went back and forth over a disagreement. Noriko pointed at a paragraph on a piece of paper she held in her hand and Tohma motioned his hands to prove a point. Kannagi took a sip of water from his glass. Neither of them paid any attention to Ryuichi.

Ryu stared down into Kuma-chan's eyes with a look of displeasure. "I told you not to eat all that chocolate! Look what you've done! You ruined your dinner and your tie!" he scolded. He licked his thumb and rubbed it against the surface of the little red bow. "You better hope this comes out Kumagoro or no sweets for a week!"

The bunny hung its head in remorse for what it had done, and Ryuichi was instantly filled with regret.

"Oh, I didn't mean to be harsh Kuma-chan. Don't be sad." he pleaded, but Kuma-chan did not raise his head. Tears welled up in Ryu's eyes. "Kuma-chan, I…I…" he sniffed,

"I'M SORRY!"

"…"

Everyone stared at Ryuichi with confused expressions. Kannagi-san was both confused and surprised. "You're sorry, Ryuichi-san?" Tohma asked, "That's your answer? That doesn't make any sense."

"My answer?"

"To my question. I asked you if you agreed with this contract." Tohma lifted a piece of paper that he and Noriko had already signed. "Were you even listening?"

Before Ryuichi could speak Noriko came to his rescue.

"Chill Tohma! Don't upset Ryu-chan!" she turned to Ryu and patted him on the head. "There, there Ryu. He's just a little stressed Tohma!"

Tohma smiled with a small chuckle. "I understand. Then what do you think of the contract Ryuichi-san?"

Ryuichi looked everyone in the eye, and each person smiled back at him.

"Well…if it's o.k. with all of you, then it's fine with me." Ryu answered. He squeezed Kumagoro closer to him.

Kannagi got up from his chair with a triumphant laugh and shook Tohma's hand while Ryuichi put his signature on the paper.

"Then it's settled!" he exclaimed, "N-G and Wani TV productions are now partners. And for our first production project, we will do an exclusive broadcast of the upcoming Nittle Grasper concert! Let's celebrate! I'll have Koujima-san bring us Champaign."

Just then there was a knock at the door and Kannagi-san went to answer it. Tohma turned to Ryuichi and Noriko. "This will be an act of maturity for the whole country to see." When Tohma said maturity, he looked directly at Ryu who seemed to be having doubts about what he had just signed. Tohma re-assured his friend. "You'll see Ryuichi-san. This will be the start of a new you."

At these words, Ryu squeezed his Kumagoro tighter. Kannagi-san re-entered the room accompanied by a young girl. She had short hair and was wearing a sky-blue dress. She carried a matching purse.

"Everyone," Kannagi-san began as he wrapped an arm around the girl with a large grin on his face, "I would like you all to meet my daughter, Komako."

A smile graced the young girl's lips and she stood proudly next to her farther.

Kannagi-san pinched his daughter's cheek and laughed obnoxiously. "Yes! This little girl is my pride and joy! She's gonna walk in her old man's footsteps and take over for me one day."

The young girl blushed. Her face glowed a brilliant red, "Father please!"

The girl walked over to the three band mates and bowed beautifully, "It's so nice to make your acquaintance." Ryuichi looked closely at her. She was not a month older than 16, but she carried herself in such a responsible and mature way that she could've been mistaken for 28. She kind of reminded him of Tohma.

All three band mates bowed back and Ryuichi explained to her how excited Kuma-chan was to have made a new friend. She smiled at the comment.

Ryuichi looked at the clock and was surprised. "Look at the time! I have to go. Me and Kumagoro are going to be late!" he exclaimed.

Noriko walked towards the door, "Come on Ryu. You can ride with me."

Ryuichi turned to Tohma. "You comin' Tohma?"

Tohma motioned for the door, "No, you go ahead. I still have some work to do."

"O.K." Ryuichi turned back to Kannagi-san and Komako, and bowed once more. "Nice meeting you again, Komako-san."

Noriko walked out the door and Ryuichi followed. They walked down the hallway towards the elevators. "WAIT!" Halfway there Ryuichi felt a strong tug on his jacket. He turned around and saw Komako with her hand still pulling at his jacket.

"Huh? What is it Komako-san?" Ryu asked. He tilted his head in confusion.

Komako looked into his eyes and smiled sheepishly.

"Uh…Um…can I have your autograph?"

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"We've been up and down seven floors already, Tatsuha. He probably left. We should go home." Shuichi walked behind Tatsuha as he peeked through the windows of every door.

"But that girl, she said Nittle Grasper was here. Don't you want to see them?"

"Of course I do." Shuichi began, "But it's been three hours. If we haven't seen them by now chances are we won't see them."

Tatsuha stopped in his tracks. He turned around slowly to Shuichi. His face was sad and there was a look of disappointment in his eyes. "You're probably right, Shuichi."

Shuichi felt guilty. He had gotten Tatsuha's hopes up only to let him down. "Gomen, Tatsuha. I'm so sorry."

In a weak attempt to hide his disappointment, Tatsuha gave a smirk. "No problem. Really Shu-chan, its fine." He lied. "Let's go back to the Lobby."

Tatsuha and Shuichi re-traced their steps all the way back to the elevators. Four elevators lined the wall and Shuichi pressed the down button. It lit up and both boys looked at the floor numbers above each elevator. The two elevators in the middle were moving the fastest. One was coming down from a higher floor and the other was coming up from the lobby. The one going up was faster and reached the seventh floor first. When the doors opened both boys stepped in. When Shuichi pressed the button for the lobby, the elevator going down reached the seventh floor.

As the doors closed on Tatsuha and Shuichi, the other elevator's doors opened. In it stood Noriko and Ryuichi.

Ryu ran out of the elevator.

Noriko yelled after him, "Ryu-chan! Hurry up! We have to leave!"

Ryuichi's reply carried through the hallway, "I'll only be a second! I have to get something!"

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"That's it! That's it! I've had it!"

Down in the lobby Koujima-san and his boss (the director of Hit Stage) were having a loud argument and causing a scene. Soon people began to gather around and listen. Surprisingly, timid Koujima-san was winning.

"You've always disrespected me!" Koujima screamed, "I can't take this anymore! I'm never appreciated! I work too hard and I'm paid too little!"

"Don't you speak that way to me!" his boss yelled back. They stared each other down. "Don't act like you're so important to this company! Without me there'd be no you! I'm the director of Hit Stage! The only thing I ever asked you for was papers! But you can't even do that right!" he continued.

"Papers?" Koujima-san's anger rose when he heard that word, "You want papers?! Here are your papers…and mine!" and with that said he threw a stack of papers in his boss' face.

"How dare you!"

Koujima-san laughed, "You know what? I've always wanted to do that. And you know what else? I hate you! And you know what else, else? Whoa, man, I've always wanted to say this: You are a pompous jerk who couldn't wipe his own ass without complaining! I QUIT!"

Koujima-san walked towards the exit. His boss was fuming with an uncontrollable rage.

"HOW DARE YOU! You can't quit, YOU'RE FIRED!"

"You can't fire me! Because I quit!" Koujima yelled. He walked out of the building and his boss ran to the door and yelled at him. "You'll never work in this business again!"

Koujima turned around for a split second, "I can only hope!" He walked down the street and was gone.

Tatsuha and Shuichi walked into the lobby and saw crowds of people whispering and pointing towards the exit.

"What went on here?"

Shuichi shrugged his shoulders, "Don't know."

Just then the crowds began to go crazy and everyone ran to the elevators.

"AHHHHHH! RYUICHI! NORIKO-CHAN!"

Tatsuha heard the screams and ran towards the crowd. People were pushing and shoving. Camera's were surrounding the crowd, trying to get closer.

"It's them, it's them!" the people screamed. Tatsuha tried to push himself between people to get closer, but it was no use. The crowd was too big. There were too many people. The harder he pushed, the harder they pushed back. He couldn't see a thing. The lights from the cameras were blinding him, and people were starting to climb over each other. The crowd began to move towards the exit.

"Damn it! Move!" he yelled. He looked around and found the receptionist desk in the lobby. He climbed on top of it and from there he got a perfect view. In the middle of the crowd, both Noriko and Ryuichi waved to their fans. They were surrounded by security guards. Tatsuha's beloved Ryuichi wore sunglasses and a brilliant smile. He carried Kumagoro in his arms.

"Sakuma-san! Sakuma-san! Look! Over here!"

Tatsuha yelled at the top of his lungs, but Ryuichi could not hear him over the crowds of fans. The receptionist at the desk was getting annoyed. She tapped at his ankles with her pen. "Get down young man!"

Tatsuha paid her no attention and instead focused on Ryuichi, who was now at the exit. He yelled louder, "Sakuma-san! Look at me!"

Noriko and Ryuichi waved to the crowd once more and then left. The crowds dispersed, and Tatsuha was still standing on top of the desk. He stood motionless, the receptionist still tapping at his ankles. Shuichi ran to meet him. "Come down from there, Tatsuha."

Tatsuha came down from his perch. He stared at the exit and didn't say anything. Shuichi smiled, "Weren't we lucky? We got to see Nittle Grasper after all. But we still haven't found Tohma—" In the middle of Shuichi's sentence Tatsuha made a quick dash for the exit. "Hey! Tatsuha! They've already left!"

Tatsuha kept running. All he could see was the exit. Unfortunately, he did not see the man in front of it. They both collided and landed on the floor.

The old man rubbed his head and Tatsuha apologized immediately. "I'm sorry, Gomen!"

The man got up and brushed himself off. "You run pretty fast kid. I bet _you_ could bring me my papers faster than that damned Koujima ever could."

"What are you saying?" Tatsuha asked as he rose to his feet.

"I'm saying you're competent."

"What?"

Koujima's ex-boss smiled and bowed to Tatsuha, who bowed back to be polite.

"I'm offering you a job kid. How 'bout it? I'm the director of Hit Stage and I need an assistant. How'd you like to work part time? I'll pay you handsomely."

Tatsuha thought about it, _"If I get a job I can buy tickets myself. I won't have to ask Tohma for anything."_

Afraid that the teenager was about to refuse him, the man threw in a special offer. "I'll give you this week's pay in advance, cash even."

"Deal." They shook hands on it, "You start tomorrow."

"I'll be here."

By now Shuichi was standing next to Tatsuha. He watched the older man walk away. "What just happened?"

"Nothing," Tatsuha smiled. "Let's go."

As they left the building, the young monk's smile grew wider.

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In the limo, Noriko watched the buildings fly past them. It was dark outside, and Tokyo was lit with bright multicolored lights and advertisements.

"Look at the lights, Ryu-chan!"

She turned to Ryuichi and the smile on her face disappeared. The cheerfulness in her voice was gone.

Ryuichi looked focused. His eyes were serious, and he didn't turn to meet Noriko's glance. He wasn't his usual bouncy self. His whole body kept still and he did not smile. Kumagoro was laying face-down on the floor of the limo, and in Ryuichi's hands instead was a little black box.

"Ryu…" she whispered, but he did not move. He only stared harder at the little black box in his hand.

"Ryuichi," she tried again, and placed a hand on his shoulder, "We're almost at the airport. _She's_ waiting for you there. Smile. You don't want to worry her."

Ryuichi exhaled deeply. "I've finally decided, Noriko. I'm going to ask her."

Noriko smiled. "That's wonderful Ryuichi! You're going to ask her to _marry_ you? We should celebrate!"

Ryuichi did not speak. They sat in silence for awhile, until Noriko broke it.

"Wow, I can't believe my good friend Ryu-chan is finally going to settle down."

"Yeah." Ryuichi opened the little black box. Inside a beautiful, sparkling diamond ring glittered. It was brighter than any light in Tokyo and clearer than any river. Ryuichi looked at his reflection in it and whispered to himself, "I can't believe it either."

* * *

Whoa! Is Ryuichi getting married? What about Tatsuha? Who is this girl? You'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out.

Thanks for reading!


	5. Sing to me Ryuichi!

**Disclaimer:** Gravitation is not mine.

**Warnings:** have not changed.

**Summary:** same

* * *

(Chapter 4: Sing to me Ryuichi!)

Tohma Seguchi stood leaning against a wall in one of N-G's recording studios. Sample music played over the stereo system, and he folded his arms. He closed his eyes and listened intently. When the song was over, Tohma looked around the room and saw everyone nodding their heads in approval. He smiled and turned to the producer standing next to him.

"Well, Sakano-san, what do you think of this band?"

Bad Luck's producer jumped at the sound of his name and trembled a little.

"You're really asking me?"

"Yes."

Sakano-san pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off of his forehead. His glasses slid down the bridge of his nose and he pushed them back up with his index finger.

"U-um, well…in my opinion sir, this is a great misuse of time. Don't you think it would be better if we focused more on Bad Luck?"

Seguchi chuckled softly, "That's exactly what I expected you to say, but why don't you leave that kind of thinking to K-san. I am the owner of N-G records, and as such I must constantly be searching for bigger and better things. I'm a part of Nittle Grasper, but I will always keep my ears open for new and interesting sounds…"

Seguchi walked over to the sound system equipment and pressed the "eject" button. He walked back over to Sakano-san and lifted a demo C.D. into the air so that the producer could get a better look, "…and I hear them in this."

Sakano responded so quickly, that he almost tripped over his own feet. "Sir, I respect your decisions, but does N-G really need to sign another group?"

"My dear Sakano-san", Tohma sighed, "You have not yet begun to realize how beneficial this will be to N-G. Now that we've signed the contract with Wani, I see nothing but opportunity for this company. You will see it too, soon."

Sakano's nerves began to get the best of him and he sat down.

"This will be good. Oh, and Sakano-san?", Seguchi walked towards the door and turned towards Sakano-san one last time before exiting, "Stop worrying about N-G's productivity, that's _my_ job."

Tohma stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind him. He began heading in the direction where his office was located, but was stopped by a familiar voice calling to him.

"Toohmaa!"

At the other end of the hall, Noriko waved her hand frantically in the air and continued to call to him.

"Toohmaa! Wait!"

As she walked up to him, Tohma was able to get a closer look at her. She was wearing a halter top and had her hair up. When she got closer to him, he realized that she was accompanied by a woman who he couldn't recognize. The woman had long blond hair and wasn't modest about the way she dressed. Her skirt was very short. It barely covered her thighs and showed off her long, toned legs. She had very large breasts and the top that she wore was low cut to the point where it revealed the blue lace of her bra. Her lips were red with lipstick and she wore high heels. Her whole outfit hugged every curve of her body.

Tohma tried to pretend not to notice the woman and focused all of his attention on his band mate. When Noriko caught up to him, she smiled in her usual cheerful way.

"Tohma, I'm so glad I've caught you. I thought you'd be busy."

The blond-haired woman stood back and watched. She had obviously wanted to keep her distance and Tohma had felt he should do the same.

"Noriko, this is a bit of a surprise. I hadn't expected you to come into the studio today."

"I'm just getting ready for the concert," she replied, then she motioned for the woman behind her, "I was also planning to take my 'friend' shopping."

"Friend?" Tohma looked at the woman again, and caught her staring at him. She was frowning and squeezing her hands behind her back anxiously. She moved her head up and down when she looked at him, as if she were scanning him for something. It was like she was waiting for something…_impatiently_.

"Yes, my 'friend'. She'll be yours too soon, hopefully." Noriko put her hand up to Tohma's ear and whispered in it, "For Ryu-chan's sake, all three of us should at least try to get along…however difficult that may prove to be."

"Difficult? Just who is she, Nori--?"

"WHERE IS RYUICHI?!"

The blond-haired woman interrupted Tohma's question with one of her own and proceeded to interrogate him.

"Where's Ryuichi?! Huh? Where is he?!"

Noriko pressed a finger to her lips to silence her. "Now, now, Terra-san, calm down. I was just going to ask him."

The woman turned to Noriko and voiced her complaints.

"But I'm worried about him and you were taking too long. You should get straight to the point!"

The woman nudged Noriko to the side and came face to face with Tohma, who was now confused and annoyed.

"I'll ask one more time, and then I won't ask again." The woman folded her arms and looked Tohma straight in the eyes. "Where is Ryuichi?!"

Noriko didn't know what to do as she stood to the side and watched the woman have a staring contest with Tohma, blond against blond, blue eyes staring into blue eyes.

Tohma laughed softly, "My, you're a bold one."

"You have to be bold in the business I'm in", she smirked.

"And what, pray tell, would that be?"

"What?" she sounded surprised. "You can't tell by looking? You don't know who I am?!"

"…No."

"Geez, then I don't care _who_ you are. You're a nobody until you've known me. I'm Terra Brown, one of the most famous American actresses to have ever graced the big screens. If you have any doubt about that, you can ask one of my seven Oscars back home."

"Oh. _The_ Terra Brown? Forgive me. You _are_ very well known, especially in Japan. However, I must ask, what business do you have with Ryuichi-san?" Tohma maintained his composure very well, despite the rude woman in front of him.

The woman stepped back and placed her hands on her hips, "He's my boyfriend."

"Oh, so _you're_ the woman Ryuichi-san has told me about. Forgive me for not remembering your name. I'm sorry, but I do not know where he is."

Terra's body was heavy with disappointment and she tried very hard not to let it show on her face. Instead she looked at her shoes. Tohma had grown tired of speaking to her and was even more eager to get to his office.

"Excuse me ladies," he said as he turned away from them, "but I have a lot of work to do. The concert is tonight."

"Tohma!" Noriko called to him and he stopped, "If you do see him, please, make sure he's alright."

"I will."

Noriko watched Tohma disappear at the end of the hallway, and sighed when she realized she had been left with a pushy, spoiled actress to tend to.

"Come on, Terra-san." She smiled, "I'll show you all the hot spots Tokyo has to offer."

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The top floor of N-G where Tohma's office was located was practically empty. Most of the employees were on the lower floors either helping label artists in recording sessions or sitting in meetings discussing the promotion of N-G Records. A select few where chosen to help prepare the Tokyo Dome for the concert that would take place that night and most of Tokyo was in an uproar over the last Nittle Grasper concert. It was talked about on most of the television stations (with help from Wani) and Tohma was very pleased with all the attention Nittle Grasper was receiving.

He walked through the halls smiling and feeling very good about the upcoming performance, when suddenly a beautiful sound stopped him dead in his tracks. He paused and listened to a melody that was soft and soothing to his ears. The sound was light, smooth, and gentle, like wind on an open field. It was memorizing, and strong enough to pull any person's attention away from anything else and draw them in. A voice like no other filled the hallway and Tohma followed it directly towards his office. As he got closer, the sound grew louder, and each word carried a hint of sadness. It was a song that Tohma had not heard before and it was coming from his office. He reached the office door, ready to find out who it was behind it singing so beautifully. He turned the doorknob, opened the door and found…

"Ryuichi?"

At the sound of his name the surprised lead singer jumped in his seat. A little black box fell from his hands and onto the floor. He turned around on the couch and faced Tohma, who stood stunned but expressionless in the doorway. "You're here. What're you doing all alone in my office?"

"Tohma! Heellooo!" Ryuichi greeted with a warm and cheerful voice as he waved Kumagoro above his head.

Tohma still stood in the doorway, "That song you were singing, I've never heard it before."

"I wrote it last night. Do you like it?" Ryuichi grinned

"Yes, but…why was it so sad?" Tohma watched as the smile on Ryu's lips shrank into one that looked insincere. It was the kind a person wore when they felt uncomfortable talking, or was hiding something. Ryuichi turned away from Tohma and answered his question. "…I don't know."

Tohma closed the door and walked to his desk. He sat down in his chair and looked at Ryuichi.

"It's a really nice song, Ryuichi-san," he assured, "It's just, I didn't even recognize your voice. It was…different somehow. I think it's worth recording though."

"No." Ryuichi's reply surprised Tohma, "I want to keep it for myself. It's my song and no one else's.

"…o.k."

Ryu's childlike side was showing, and he tossed Kuma-chan up in the air and caught it many times. Tohma sat at his desk pondering. He placed his elbows on the desk's surface and braided the fingers of his hands together.

"Ryuichi-san,--"

"Tohma," he interrupted, "I was thinking, can we go over to your house right now for some drinks like the old days? I…I want to relax before the concert tonight."

"I'm sorry, but that doesn't seem possible right now." Tohma moved his arms and supported his head on one hand. "I've got a little _problem_ living with me at home."

"Living with you?"

"Yes," Tohma sighed, "There's this kid living with us. He's Mika's little brother and he's a pain in the ass. All he does is get into trouble, and his presence is bothersome."

"…_That_ bad?"

"Yes. He's very difficult to control. Just a few days ago, he stole Mika's car. It was not a pretty scene when he returned. That was just his _first_ strike."

Tohma took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead, "Just thinking about him gives me a headache. I've got too much work to do. I don't have time to baby-sit some troublesome brat."

Tohma was aggravated and Ryuichi couldn't help but laugh as he stared at him.

"It's not funny."

"Ha ha ha, I'm sorry," Ryuichi covered his mouth and tried to stop laughing, but he couldn't hide the amusement in his eyes, "It's kinda funny. He really stole Mika-san's car?!" The sound of his muffled laughter was growing louder, "He sounds like he's quite a handful…kinda like me."

"He is absolutely _nothing_ like you." Tohma replied, "You two are on completely different scales". His voice was a little low as if he was annoyed and Ryuichi thought it best not to push him any further.

"Geez Tohma, I haven't seen you this upset over someone since Shuichi and Yuki-san got together."

"…I just don't know if I can take it. He left a mountain of clothes on his bed that the maid had to clean up the first day, he stole Mika's car, he plays his music way too loud, he walks around in his underwear, and he's flirted with every single maid in the house and even our male driver. We avoid each other for the most part though. Luckily his part time job keeps him busy and out of the house most of the time."

Ryuichi got up from the couch and walked over to Tohma. He wrapped his arm around Tohma's shoulders, "Poor, poor Tohma. You need to rest. I'll leave you alone so you can relax. I need to go anyway."

Ryuichi turned and walked towards the door. Tohma stopped him halfway there.

"Wait"

Ryu turned around in time to see Tohma picking up a little black box off of the floor. "I think you dropped this."

Ryuichi froze, and stared in his direction. He couldn't move.

"What?" Tohma smiled, "You don't want it?"

He opened the box, and his smile disappeared when he found himself looking at a diamond ring. Ryuichi rushed over to him and snatched the box away. He quickly shoved it into his pocket.

"Ryuichi, what was that?"

"Nothing," he answered quickly, "I'm leaving now." His reply made Tohma suspicious. Tohma gave him a stern look, like that of a father about to scold his son.

"Ryuichi, I ran into Noriko and Terra-san on my way here. They were looking for you."

Ryuichi squeezed Kumagoro under his arms while Tohma continued. "You know, you never answered my question. What were you doing all alone in my office...were you hiding from them?"

Ryuichi sat back down on the couch and pulled the box out of his pocket. "Ever since my girlfriend came to Japan from America, she's been very needy," he confessed, "When I'm not around her 24/7 she gets in bad moods."

"I know, I've already had the pleasure of meeting her." Tohma replied sarcastically as he folded his arms.

"I just needed some time to my self. She puts pressure on me. I had to get away for awhile."

"I understand Ryuichi-san, but what's the ring for?"

Ryu breathed in and out slowly, "Three days ago, when I went to pick her up from the airport, I had planned to ask her to marry me."

Ryuichi stared at Tohma in silence for what seemed to be the longest five minutes of his life. He waited for any type of reply, and just when there seemed to be no chance of one, Tohma spoke.

"That's a big step. I'm happy for you." His tone did not match his words.

"Well, I was _going_ to ask," Ryu continued, "but I couldn't. Something in the back of my mind kept telling me to wait a little longer."

"Are you _sure_ it wasn't _doubt_?"

"No, it wasn't that. It was like the feeling I had before. It just said to wait 'till after the concert. So, that's what I'm gonna do."

Tohma sat down next to him, "I think waiting is a good idea too, Ryuichi-san."

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Tatsuha sat on a stool at a sushi bar waiting for his waitress to come back with the lunch he ordered. The small sushi restaurant was a few buildings down from Wani T.V. where he now worked part-time on the show "Hit Stage", and he was on his lunch break.

"She's been gone for awhile. Damn it, I'm hungry. Where is she with my food?" he mumbled to himself, as he looked around. Despite the fact that it was lunch hour and the restaurant was located in Tokyo, there weren't many people there. The restaurant wasn't very popular. But the price was right and Tatsuha had cause for celebrating. He pulled out a small piece of paper from his pocket.

"_I've got it! I've finally got it! It's mine!"_ He thought to himself, _"My concert ticket! Tonight's going to be the best night of my life!"_

He held his ticket up to the ceiling and used it to shield the lights from his eyes. The lights formed a golden halo around his concert pass, and at that moment nothing looked more heavenly.

"Tonight, Ryuichi…I'll see you tonight." Tatsuha pulled his ticket close to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on it, "Tonight, you will sing to me!"

"Am I interrupting something?"

Tatsuha looked up and saw the young waitress with a small tray of sushi in her hands. He blushed a little from embarrassment.

"No."

"Good.", she laughed, "Here's your sushi."

"Thank you."

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what was that you were kissing? A picture of your _girlfriend_?"

"No." The red on his face was darker and he quickly stuffed the ticket into his back pocket. "It's a…it's a concert ticket."

"To the Nittle Grasper concert? Cool! I looove Nittle Grasper!" The waitress got a little flirty, and she ran her finger down the side of his face, "So, you don't have a girlfriend?"

Tatsuha was not interested, so he lied to get her to leave him alone, "No, I do have one."

The girl pouted cutely, "Aww, that's too bad."

And before she walked away, she gave his ass a tight pinch.

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"Ouch! Noriko!"

Ryuichi sat in front of a mirror in Tohma's dressing room and Noriko stood next to him.

"Ouch! Stop it Nori-chan!"

Tohma sat in a chair and was reading an entertainment magazine. When Ryuichi's voice interrupted his concentration, he put the magazine down on top of a small table next to him and turned his head towards them.

"Noriko, what are you doing?"

"Tohmaaa," Ryuichi whined in an effort to gain his sympathy, "Noriko keeps pinching me!" He rubbed a pink spot on his arm and pouted, "Make her stop!"

"I wouldn't have to pinch you if you'd just listen to me!", Noriko shouted, "I'm trying to talk to you, Ryu, but you keep gazing into that mirror and your mind keeps wandering off…"

Noriko stopped talking and looked at Ryuichi again. He sat facing the mirror and stared blankly into it. She pinched his arm.

"Ouch! Waaah! Noriko!"

"See what I mean?"

Ryuichi put on his best "forgive me" face and gazed directly into Noriko's eyes.

"Gomen Noriko, I have a lot to think about that's all."

The smile returned to Noriko's face and she gave her friend a big hug. "Awww, it's alright Ryu."

She released him and ran her hand through a tangled spot in his hair, "But really Ryu-chan, next time you want some alone time you should _tell_ Terra-san. You shouldn't run away. She was very worried about you."

"I know," he replied, hanging his head low, "It won't happen again."

There was a sudden pounding on the door and a voice called in to them. "Nittle Grasper! 15 minutes 'till show time!"

Tohma smiled. "Well," he sighed, "now that you're both done talking, let's get on stage." He got up from his chair and headed for the door. Noriko was not far behind him. As they walked out the door, Ryu called after them. "I'll be there in just a minute."

The door closed and Ryuichi was left alone. He put his earphones in and closed his eyes. He listened to the fast beats of his music and the sound of his booming voice, and concentrated on the music,_ "…only on the music." _

When he opened his eyes he looked at himself in the mirror. Long strands of hair fell onto his beautiful face, and his eyes were strong and piercing.

"I'm ready"

He got up and opened the door, and as soon as he walked out of the room he came face to face with Terra.

"I can't talk. The show's starting." Ryuichi brushed past her, but she grabbed his arm. He turned and looked at her. Her face was pale. "I just wanted to give you a good-luck kiss." She pulled herself up on her toes so she could reach his lips, and then pressed hers against his. Ryuichi accepted it, and kept his eyes open while she closed hers. When she finished, he turned and walked towards the stage without a word.

"Good Luck! I'll be watching you!" she called after him. When he was gone she stood still, staring in that direction as the stage crew ran past her towards the stage. She clenched her fists at her sides in frustration.

She took short deep breaths and mumbled to herself in a shaky voice,_ "He didn't kiss me back!"_

* * *

This isn't the end! I split this chapter up too, to make it easier to read. The next part is short and should be up in a few hours, if my computer doesn't mess up. 

Thanks for reading!


	6. Sing to me Ryuichi! part2

**Disclaimer:** Gravitation does not belong to me.

**Warnings:** same

**Summary:** same

* * *

(Chapter 4: Sing to me Ryuichi! Part 2)

"Attention, everyone! The show will be starting very soon. We'd like for everyone still outside the Tokyo Dome to quickly line up in orderly fashions, and present their tickets at the doors."

At the voice's command over the loud speaker, everyone formed lines and crowded around the doors. The lines going inside were long and it seemed almost impossible to move through the crowds of people. The Tokyo Dome was quickly filling up with excited fans and the streets were packed with cars.

One car pulled up to the curb just outside of the entrance and a tall dark-haired teenager stepped out.

"Bye! Thanks for the ride!"

The car drove away and Tatsuha gawked with excitement at the scene in front of him. The Dome was _huge_ with bright searchlights illuminating the night sky. A large electronic billboard glowed brilliantly at the top as it advertised the concert with a picture of Nittle Grasper, and Tatsuha's excitement grew when he looked at his idol's big, strong eyes staring down at him from it.

He ran up to the crowd and pushed his way through to the shortest line he could find. The people around him were laughing and chanting as they got closer to the doors where their tickets were checked.

"Noriko-chaaan!"

"Tohma! Tohma!"

"Ryuuuichii!"

Tatsuha could see the door from where he stood in line and told himself repeatedly that he was almost there. The line was moving faster and getting shorter, when another voice sounded over the loud speaker.

"Attention! Everyone! The show will be starting in 15 minutes! We ask that everyone with a ticket present it at the door immediately before the doors close."

By the time the announcement finished Tatsuha was already at the door, and the only thing standing between him and the show was a Tokyo Dome employee.

"Present your ticket please."

"Oh, yeah!" Tatsuha reached for his back pocket and froze, "…_nothing_."

He patted himself down frantically in search for his ticket but found nothing. He went into total shock, "I can't believe this! It was in my back pocket. Where the hell is it?!"

"Ticket please!" The employee's tone was forceful.

Tatsuha scratched his head, still in shock, and retraced his steps in his mind. The people in the line behind him were angry at the holdup.

"Hey! Move it up there!"

"Will someone get this guy out of the line? The show's going to start!"

Tatsuha completely ignored the shouts at him and concentrated. _"Let's see…I took it out at the restaurant, but…I put it in my back pocket, and…the waitress pinched…The waitress!"_

"THAT BITCH!" His voice was loud and the crowds of people stared at him, "That bitch stole my ticket!"

The employee immediately tried to take control of the situation, "Sir, please step to the side!"

A large security guard standing nearby pulled Tatsuha out of the line and walked him over to the side of the building where there were less people around.

"O.K., kid" The guard spoke in a deep voice, "Why don't you run along now. Go home."

In Tatsuha's frustration, after having lost his ticket to a pick pocket waitress, he couldn't control his anger and became defiant.

"I am not leaving! Let me into this building right now!"

The security guard grabbed his arm, "This is your last warning. Leave now!"

"Let go of me!" Tatsuha shook his arm loose and looked the security guard in the eye, "You don't know who you're messing with, do you!" He took a few slow breaths to calm himself and then straightened his posture, "I am Eiri Yuki!"

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"Long time no see! We're Nittle Grasper!"

Ryuichi took the mic and the music started. The entire audience swayed back and forth, and danced to the upbeat lyrics of the song. The Dome was full of music and cheers, and none cheered louder than Shuichi.

"Yeah! Nittle Grasper!"

Shuichi watched the concert from V.I.P. box seats, and jumped up and down while the music played. Eiri sat in the seat next to him and covered his ears as he looked up at his lover.

"Won't you shut up?"

Shuichi stopped jumping and turned to him with a large grin on his face, "Yuki, dance with me!"

"No!"

"Please!"

"No. Isn't it enough that I'm wearing this stupid outfit you picked out?"

"But you look good." Shuichi sat down next to him and squeezed his arm, "Please! Dance with me. It'll be fun!"

"For the last time, no. So quit bugging me."

Shuichi stood up and smiled at Eiri, "Well, that's o.k., I'm just glad you're actually here with me."

Eiri shot him a look and watched as his lover turned back towards the stage. Shuichi continued dancing and cheering as he watched Nittle Grasper.

"Nittle Grasper! Yeah! Banzai! Go Sakuma--"

In the middle of his cheering he felt something grab his hand.

"--san?"

He looked up and found Eiri clutching his hand with a smirk on his face.

"Yuki?"

"Shall we then?" Eiri sighed stubbornly as he pulled his lover closer to him.

Shuichi's eyes lit up instantly, "Wha? You're really gonna dance with me Yuki?!

"Why the hell not?" he replied, "A promise is a promise."

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Back outside the Dome, Tatsuha still stood in front of the security guard. He crossed his arms and waited impatiently, while the guard talked on his two-way radio. There was a sudden loud cheering coming from inside the Tokyo Dome, and Tatsuha dropped both his arms to his sides. "It's started already!" he growled, and he threw his head back in disappointment.

"Uh-huh. Yeah. That's correct? Are you sure?" the security guard spoke into the radio and nodded his head frequently, "Yes. Yes. Alright. Understood." He looked at Tatsuha with a devious smirk before ending the conversation, "Over and out."

"Y-You see?" Tatsuha argued, "I-I'm Eiri Yuki! And you're making one of the biggest mistakes of your life. One that you'll soon regret!"

The security guard laughed at him, "Please kid! If you're Eiri Yuki than I'm Shuichi Shindou!" The guard began laughing hysterically and Tatsuha didn't know what to say. When the guard finally stopped and caught his breath, he spoke again.

"I just talked to one of the managers inside the Dome. He says you couldn't possibly be Eiri Yuki, because Eiri Yuki is inside right now with Shuichi Shindou in the V.I.P. section!"

Tatsuha couldn't speak. The security guard continued talking. "So you see? Your stupid tricks don't work. You're not famous. You're a nobody, a half-wit who thought he could out-wit me. You've got no ticket and so you've got no place here. Leave. Before I have you arrested for trying to sneak in without paying."

Tatsuha made no reply. He just stood there and watched the guard walk back towards the entrance. He was left all alone outside the Dome.

There was no one around and the only noise, besides the occasional passing car, came from the screams and shouts that echoed from inside the building. He stood there for a long while and when he felt he had enough strength to move, he slowly walked to a nearby phone booth.

The young teenager dialed a number and waited for the phone to stop ringing. When someone picked up he whispered into the phone, "Hello? I need a ride. Could you please pick me up?"

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A couple of hours later, Tatsuha walked through the front door of his sister's mansion. The lights were on, but there was no one in sight. He closed the door behind him and took off his shoes. Just as he began to move forward a maid walked in. She dropped her bag when she saw him.

"Oh! Uesugi-san! You startled me." She took a deep breath and bent over to pick up the bag, "I didn't expect you back so early."

"Where's Mika?"

"Oh, she went to the concert to watch Seguchi-san perform." The maid noticed Tatsuha's sullen expression and became a little concerned. "Oh my, you don't look too good. Would you like me to prepare something for you?"

"No, I'm fine. I just need to be alone."

The maid dismissed herself, and he walked through the mansion to one of the rooms with a television in it. He sat down on a couch facing a large television and stared at the black screen.

"…_Everyone's at the concert but me…"_

He turned the T.V. on and flipped through the channels until he came across a special live coverage of the Nittle Grasper concert, only available to audiences with enough money to pay for it and sponsored by Wani T.V.

Tatsuha was quiet as he stared at his idol on the screen. Ryuichi was sweating and laughing. He'd just finished a song and was catching his breath. "Whoa! You guys are an awesome crowd!" Tohma and Noriko were in the background waving and Ryuichi was wiping the sweat of his face. He ran his hand through his hair and spoke into the mic. "Yeah, this is great. It's great to be here! Now's about the time we slow things down for a minute. This next song goes out to…well, to anyone feeling lonely out there!"

The music started up again, and it was slower and calmer. Tatsuha closed his eyes and let Ryuichi's soothing voice comfort him. Each word from his idol's mouth seemed to describe him perfectly, and Tatsuha pretended that Ryuichi was singing only to him.

* * *

Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it. It's sad how badly poor Tatsuha's treated, right? He has a lot of bad luck in this chapter. But don't worry! Ryuichi will make it all better, in the next chapter. I hope to post that one sooner. Oh, and thanks for the reviews. They are very nice. 


	7. What's in a name?

**Disclaimer- **gravitation is not mine.

**Warnings**-same.

**Notes**- Hi! I'm back! Sorry its been so long! It seems that I've gotten into the habit of splitting my chapters up. I'll try to break it. Also, I was worried that I might've dissapointed a lot of people with my last chapter, 'cause Tatsuha did'nt get into the concert. But I knew people would expect him to get in and I wanted it to be different. I hope this chapter makes up for it. Enjoy!

* * *

(Chapter 5: What's in a name?)

The light of a new day should have warmed and melted any lingering cold and lonely thoughts in his mind, however everything was dark. All Tatsuha could see was black. His eyes were no longer of any use to him, but his ears still heard everything loud and clear. The streets were busy and the people around him were going about their daily lives. In every direction there was sound. Shouts, laughter, crying, talking,…he could hear all types of conversations. The cars on the street were very noisy, and the sidewalk he walked on was crowded. Life was zooming past him as usual, he just couldn't see it.

Tatsuha was afraid of stumbling, so he held one of his arms out in front of him to keep from bumping into anything. His other arm was being pulled by Shuichi.

"I'm sorry about what happened last night, Tatsuha."

Tatsuha heard Shuichi's voice from amongst several others, and realized how sincere it was.

"Shu-chan, please. None of what happened was _your_ fault. You have no reason to apologize,…I …I was _careless_ and lost my ticket." A sharp pain shot through his chest when the memories of the previous night that he had tried so hard to forget came rushing back to him. It pained him to think that he might've lost his only chance of being close to his idol, and he felt himself being pulled towards a monk's life that he wasn't ready for. He almost stopped walking, but Shuichi kept pulling him.

"I know it wasn't my fault, but I can't help but feel a little bad about you not getting in. Maybe if I had asked K, he could've gotten Seguchi-san to--."

"No," Tatsuha interrupted, "It wouldn't have worked. Tohma and I don't get along too well. He wouldn't have gotten me in. Really, Shuichi, I'm okay with it." He took a deep breath and lied to himself, "I didn't really want to go to that concert anyway."

The grip tightened on Tatsuha's arm, and Shuichi carefully maneuvered him down the sidewalk and through the crowds of people. The sharp turns he was guided through made him a little nervous. He couldn't see anything but, judging from the commotion around him, he sensed that they were attracting attention. He began to feel really silly walking around in a blindfold.

"Shuichi, is this blindfold really necessary? Can I take it off now?"

"Not yet!" he laughed, "We're almost there."

"Where are you taking me?"

"It's a surprise! I can't wait 'till you see!" Shuichi sounded excited. Tatsuha could hear him humming and laughing, and there was no doubt left in his mind. Shuichi and his brother definitely had a good night together, as he suspected, and the way Shuichi laughed made him even more curious about where they were going. He appreciated his friend's efforts to cheer him up, but at that moment he didn't feel like being surprised. He wouldn't have even left the house if Shuichi hadn't been so insistent. Good thing he brought his backpack along, and filled it with Nittle Grasper C.D.s.

"Stop here." Shuichi commanded. He positioned Tatsuha so that he would be facing the surprise and reached up to untie the blindfold. He tried to build up the suspense. Tatsuha could feel the long piece of cloth wrapped around his eyes slowly loosening.

"Okay, Tats-chan, on the count of three," he laughed, "1…2…"

Tatsuha suddenly became anxious and excited. He had one last shred of hope left, and it was that Ryuichi Sakuma would be standing in front of him when the darkness of his blindfold faded.

"3!"

The cloth was taken away and Shuichi gave Tatsuha his vision back. His eyes adjusted to the light only to be disappointed.

They were standing in front of the N-G Building.

"…N-G?"

"Yep!" Shuichi grinned, "Today, you can spend time with Bad Luck!"

It was definitely not what Tatsuha had in mind. N-G? Why? Why not an open bar? Or karaoke? Hell, why not a landfill? Anything but N-G! So many questions raced through his mind, but he was so stunned he could barely speak.

"…Shu-chan, this is…great… and all but…why here, of all places?"

"It's not like you've got some place better to go, right? It's your day off and you don't have to go to the temple today. Yuki's working, and I know you don't want to stay in that house all day long doing nothing, right?"

"Well…"

"That's what I thought!" Shuichi smiled, "And today, we're recording a _special_ song. It'll be fun. You're gonna love it!"

Tatsuha could hardly see hanging around N-G as "fun", but in an effort to not seem ungrateful, he smiled.

"Thank you, Shuichi."

"You're welcome," he grinned back, "Now let's go inside."

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N-G's boardroom was just as luxurious as the one at Wani, where the last meeting was held. It was not as big, but what it lacked in size it made up for in style and comfort. The walls were a beige color and at one end of the room there was a very sophisticated stereo system used to play demo C.D.s. A table was in the middle of the room and it had several comfortable chairs surrounding it. One of the walls had an N-G logo on it, and in one of the corners there was a telephone on top of a much smaller table. Tohma stood next to it, trying to contact Ryuichi.

"I don't understand it."

Tohma held the phone close to his ear and dialed the phone number, _again_. It rang six times, and then a phone message began to play.

_Hi, na no da! This is Ryu-chan! I can't answer the phone right now. Kuma-chan and I are probably busy. If you're some gossip magazine reporter, than I have no comment to whatever question you have! Otherwise leave your name and number after the beep, and Kuma-chan and I might get back to you. No promises._ Beeeeep!

"I don't understand," he repeated, "Why isn't he picking up?"

Tohma decided to try again.

Noriko sat at the table with Komako. She was chewing gum and slouching in her chair. She propped her head up with both of her arms, and both of her elbows were on the table's surface. She wore her hair in two long pigtails, and popped her gum every once in a while when she thought the room was too quiet.

Komako sat next to Noriko, but she did not slouch. She had been well-trained in proper etiquette, and carried herself with an amount of grace and poise that contradicted her age. _"Young ladies do not slouch"_, she thought, so she kept her back straight and her head up the entire time. She ignored Noriko's constant gum popping and focused more on doing everything she had been taught to do. She must present herself as a responsible young lady, if she's ever going to be taken seriously as her father's replacement one day. _That_ is what she had to accomplish if she ever wanted to be successful. _That_ is what she was _taught_ to think.

Tohma turned to the two ladies still sitting at the table and sighed. "He's still not picking up. I'm going to try a different number now."

Both Noriko and Komako nodded to him, as if giving him permission, and then went back to waiting patiently. All three of them had been there for a few hours, and they were still waiting for the meeting to start. The only one missing was Ryuichi.

"I can't believe this. Still no answer. Why doesn't he pick up?" Tohma hung up the phone and turned back towards his band mate and Komako.

Noriko popped her gum again and then spoke, "Well, it was a long night, Tohma. He's probably resting after singing all night," Noriko's eyes narrowed and she glared at Tohma, "Which is what _we_ should be doing too, by the way!"

The same smile he usually wore appeared again as he began to plead his case. "I know, I know. Please don't be upset. But I just couldn't think of any other time we could have done this. All of our schedules conflict with each other, it had to be today."

Tohma sat down in the chair across from Noriko and sat up straight. Noriko looked at him, and then glanced over at Komako. Their postures were almost exactly the same, only Tohma's was more natural. Komako's was robotic, as if she'd been programmed to sit that way. Noriko thought it was a little creepy.

"I don't understand his actions," Tohma continued, "I told him last night after the concert to be here. I know it was last minute, but he seemed to be fine with it. He did say that he had made plans to do some type of recording with Shindou-san today, but then he said he'd cancel it."

Noriko sat up in her chair and began to reassure him. "You and I know him best. He probably completely forgot about both of the plans he made for today. He's probably in his room right now, in his bed, sleeping the night off….so let him sleep, Tohma."

"Hmmm…I suppose you're right, but there's no reason for us not to go on ahead with this meeting." Tohma turned to Komako, "I'm very sorry for the wait, Komako-san."

"_Young ladies do not speak unless they are spoken to"_, she thought, so when Tohma spoke directly to her she felt relieved. She could finally break her silence.

"It's not a problem at all, Seguchi-san, I assure you. Father…I mean, Kannagi-san has sent me here in his place in the hopes that I would learn something about business relationships between partners." The young girl opened the purse she brought with her and pulled out a sheet of paper with information written on it, "My father,…Kannagi-san wanted me to give this to you directly. He also wanted me to discuss some ideas that Wani has for both companies. Our meeting really shouldn't last too long."

"Good!" Noriko yawned, " 'cause I'm beat! I can't wait to go home and take a nap!"

She looked over at Komako, who was smiling politely back at her. She began to feel a little sorry for the girl. "_So young, with so many responsibilities. The poor girl must feel pressured_," she thought to herself, and then she had an idea.

"Hey, I know what you should do!" she said cheerfully. Komako and Tohma gave her their full attention. "Listen," she continued, "Why don't you and Tohma have a look around N-G? Tohma could give you a tour! You can see what kind of work happens here. What better way to learn about business is there?"

Tohma nodded in agreement, "That's an excellent idea. We should do that after the meeting, if Komako-san has no other engagements."

"I don't," she replied, "and I'd love to know more about N-G. Will you join us, Ukai-san?"

"No. Sorry, but I have to leave immediately after this. You two go ahead."

"Okay then, it's decided," Tohma smiled, "Now on to our first order of business…"

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"You guys! Please! Can we please get something done before K shows up?!" Suguru Fujisaki shouted in the middle of the recording studio, but no one seemed to be paying any attention to him at all.

Hiro sat in his chair, strumming the strings of his guitar and concentrating solely on the new guitar solo they were supposed to be recording. Shuichi couldn't hear Suguru's pleas for co-operation either. He was too love struck. He spent the entire time talking about how wonderful his night with Yuki was to anyone who would listen. Suguru tried again, "Everyone! Stay focused we have work to do!" When he failed to get their attention the second time, he sat over by his keyboard and put his head down.

Tatsuha just sat in a corner of the room and watched. After the first hour he got bored with their arguing, and pulled his C.D. player out from his bag. He listened to a C.D., and hoped that Bad Luck would be recording _something_ sometime before the songs finished. Two more hours passed, and Tatsuha had listened to almost every Nittle Grasper song he could get his hands on. Bad Luck still hadn't gotten much of anything done, and Tatsuha was almost as frustrated as Suguru. It was like they were all just waiting around for someone to show up. Who knew? Shuichi certainly wouldn't tell him anything. He'd just say, "It's a surprise!", and then go back to talking about Yuki.

Yuki this…and concert that. Tatsuha was starting to get annoyed. Shuichi's stories about last night's concert weren't helping his mood at all. By the time Tatsuha was listening to his fifth C.D., he was tired of waiting and quietly snuck out of the room without any of the three musicians noticing. He took his stuff with him.

The hallway outside of the recording studio was empty. There were people earlier, but they left soon after he had arrived. Tatsuha found it to be the perfect opportunity for some alone time. He walked down the hall until he reached the end. After dropping his bag on the floor, he leaned against the wall and held his C.D. player close to him. The music was still playing.

It was loud…and then soft…and then softer. The sound of Ryuichi's voice quickly faded away through his earphones until he could barely hear any music at all.

"Damn it, the batteries are dying."

He tapped on it with his hand to see if he could get it working again. It didn't work, they died. He was denied the music he needed to drown everything out. Frustrated, he sighed and relaxed his body. The only thing holding him up now was the wall he leaned on.

He was quiet for a while...and he had had enough. At that point, he told himself that he had a decision to make…and he had to make it then and there. He could stay there for the rest of the summer, unhappy…or….he could give up, go home, and accept the life his father planned for him without a fight, and still be unhappy.

"……..I don't want to be here anymore."

He was going to leave, and as he bent over to pick up his things he heard the sound of fast footsteps coming from around the corner. Someone was running. The sound was getting louder and closer, and it was headed straight towards him. Tatsuha didn't know who it was but as soon as he turned around to find out, he got the wind knocked out of him.

It happened so fast.

Two bodies collided with an incredible amount of force, and Tatsuha fell backwards. His C.D. player slipped from his grasp and flew through the air, hitting the ground next to him almost instantly. On impact it broke into two pieces.

He lay on the ground and the back of his head was throbbing. It was a dull pain and he wanted to rub it, but he couldn't. He tried to get up, but he couldn't. He couldn't move at all. His body was weighed down to the floor.

There was a heartbeat, but it wasn't his. He could feel it beating against his chest.

He could feel another body, a slender one, pressed against his. Someone was lying on top of him, and they both didn't move for awhile. He opened his eyes slightly, and found himself staring directly into one of the lights in the ceiling. The bright light stung his eyes and forced him to close them again.

…Now he could hear shallow breathing. The other person's head rested next to his, and their hair gently brushed against his cheek. He felt movement by his ear and soft gusts of warm breath on his neck. The person on top of him was starting to move, and Tatsuha could feel a pair of soft lips at the edge of his ear. A soft, deep-throated groan was whispered into it. It was a little weak. "Mmmm…Ouch…that hurt, kuma-chan."

That voice…_his_ voice. The voice that could make ice melt. Only this time, it wasn't on a C.D. It was the voice that he had wanted to hear for so long.

Tatsuha tried opening his eyes again. And there he was, Ryuichi Sakuma, sitting on top of him and staring down at him. The lead vocalist had straddled his body. His hair fell over his face as he looked down at him. Ryu brushed it out of the way with his hand, and Tatsuha stared directly into his deep-blue eyes. He could feel himself being pulled into them, they were so hypnotizing.

Ryuichi smiled at him, "Sorry!"

Tatsuha couldn't believe it. He wanted to grab Ryu right then and give him a tight squeeze. But instead, he suppressed his urge and quickly closed his eyes. He laid there, eyes shut, with a huge grin on his face.

"Hey, I said I was sorry." Ryuichi still sat on top of him, and he leaned in a little closer. He gently tapped the boy's forehead to see if he'd respond, "Hey? Are you okay? Do you need help?"

Tatsuha was still grinning. "No", he answered, "I just don't want to wake up from this dream."

"Dream? You're not dreaming!" Ryuichi laughed. He thought the boy was funny, even if he did seem a bit strange. "How can you dream if you're still wide awake?"

"Oh, but this _is_ a dream," he replied, "Because there's no way you're really real."

"Of course I'm real, na no da! I'd know it if I were a dream…wouldn't I?" Ryuichi stopped to ponder his own existence, and Tatsuha opened his eyes and laughed.

Ryuichi's smile grew wider. He liked the boy's laugh. It sounded like music. "Hey, what's you're name?" he asked.

"Tatsuha Uesugi. And I already know who you are. It's nice to meet you, Sakuma-san."

"Call me Ryuichi."

Ryuichi leaned in even closer for a better look. His face was so close it made Tatsuha blush a little.

"Hmmm, Tatsu…_Uesugi_? Are you the kid who's staying at Tohma's place?"

Tatsuha resented the word "kid", but he answered anyway, "Yes, I am."

"Oh, I've already heard about you too."

Tatsuha felt nervous. He was happy that his idol had already heard of him, but he knew that whatever it was he heard probably came from Tohma and that made him worried.

Ryu got off of Tatsuha, stood up, and stretched his hand out towards him. Tatsuha grabbed it, and Ryu helped him up off the floor. When Tatsuha stood on his feet, he winced and rubbed the back of his head.

"Are you alright? Does your head hurt? I hurt you, didn't I?"

"I'm fine. It's nothing." Tatsuha assured him.

Ryuichi didn't believe him for a second. He reached up and placed his hand on the spot Tatsuha was rubbing. "Should I kiss it and make it better?"

"Wha? Um, I,…"

"Just kiddin'."

Ryu bent back over to pick up his bunny, and then he picked up both pieces of the C.D player. "I'm sorry. I broke it." He looked sad and he had a cute pout on his face. There was no way Tatsuha could be mad at him, not with that face.

"No problem! I'll just get a new one later. Give me the pieces, I'll throw them away."

"Hey! Tatsuha! Where are you?!"

Shuichi had just realized that Tatsuha was missing, and he was now in the hallway looking for him. He yelled, and the hallways were filled with the loud sound of his voice.

"Shindou-san, be quiet!" Suguru's voice followed immediately after his, "People are working! You shouldn't disturb them!"

Shuichi spotted Tatsuha from down the hall and he ran up to him. As he got closer, he recognized Ryuichi standing next to him.

"Sakuma-san! You're finally here!" he cheered.

"Shuichi, you knew he was coming?" Tatsuha asked as he turned towards him.

"Yes. He's the surprise! He's gonna record a song with us today! Isn't that--"

"Actually Shuichi," Ryu interrupted, "I was just coming to tell you that I'm late for a meeting I have to go to with Tohma, and I'm gonna have to…"

He trailed off in his sentence and looked at Tatsuha. He was going to cancel the recording, but then he suddenly changed his mind, "…but I'm gonna skip it. Things seem a lot more _interesting_ here."

Shuichi looked down and saw Tatsuha carrying his bag in his hand, "Hey, Tatsuha, you weren't thinking about leaving were you?"

Ryuichi still hadn't taken his eyes off the boy. There was something different about Tatsuha, something he'd never seen before, "Yeah…the fun hasn't even started yet." Ryu had a look in his eyes, and Tatsuha smirked at him.

"Leave? Now why the hell would I do that?"

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Tohma was being a very good tour guide. He walked side by side with Komako through the halls of N-G, showing her around the building and telling her about all the different types of tasks his company performed.

He motioned towards the hallway to his left, "Down this hall is the department in charge of marketing and promotion." They walked further down until they reached another corridor to their right. "Here is where the departments of copyright and distribution are located."

Komako listened attentively to everything Tohma said, taking notes in her head as if preparing for a major exam. She didn't care if what she learned was boring or interesting. None of that mattered. The only thing that did matter was putting herself ahead of any competition and winning the respect of Tohma Seguchi. That was the most important thing.

Tohma continued on with his tour, "Alright, Komako-san, next we'll stop by the recording studios and then I'll show you where the music is produced."

_Bring!_ _Bring!_ A loud ringing sound came from the cell phone in his pocket. "Excuse me for a moment. I must take this." Tohma stood away from Komako and answered his phone. He stood only a short distance away, and Komako was still able to hear bits and pieces of the conversation… even if she didn't really want to.

"What? You saw him? …Are you _sure_ it was Ryuichi-san? Really? Where? Okay, okay…I'm coming."

Tohma hung up the phone and turned back towards Komako. He smiled and apologized, "I'm very sorry, Komako-san, but something's come up and I must take care of it immediately. Do you think you could make it to the recording studios on your own? I can meet you there when I'm finished."

"Sure, that's fine," she answered, "I'm sure I'll be able to find them by myself."

"Good. Then I will be back shortly. Go to the elevators and read the sign for directions. You'll find them." Tohma turned and walked away.

After watching him leave, Komako faced forward and headed straight for the elevators.

* * *

Okay! That's the end of part 1! Next is part 2! 


	8. What's in a name? part2

**Disclaimer**- Gravitation is not mine

**Warnings**-same.

**Notes**- Here's the second half.

* * *

(Chapter 5: What's in a name?)

The music playing in the studio was fast and loud. Tatsuha watched the band play through the glass window in the wall that divided the room. Shuichi was singing, Suguru was keeping an upbeat tempo on his keyboard, and Hiro was about to start his guitar solo. Despite all this, Tatsuha could only see and hear Ryuichi. He watched him closely, as he had done to all of his concert videos, and he felt privileged just being in his presence. He couldn't tear his eyes away from him, or his perfect body.

Ryuichi noticed all the attention he was getting and he didn't seem to mind it. It encouraged him, and he'd respond by moving his hips as he so often did on stage. He was a natural performer and Tatsuha was his audience.

When the music ended, they took their third break and rested for awhile. All four of them left the isolation booth to join Tatsuha in the control room, which was large with grey walls and lots of special equipment. There was a small table at one side of the room and it had a few chairs next to it. Ryuichi sat in one of them and talked to kumagoro. After a few minutes passed, Hiro and Suguru left to get drinks from a vending machine a few doors down.

Tatsuha stood in the back of the room and watched Ryuichi whisper something into his bunny's ear. He smiled and wondered what it was Ryu said to it, and what it said back. While he was pondering over their conversation, Shuichi walked up to him. He took a sip from his bottle of water and then cleared his throat. "So, what do you think?"

"I think Ryuichi is incredible!" Tatsuha answered his question with excitement in his voice.

"Well…I meant about the song, but Ryuichi _is_ awesome isn't he?" Shuichi put his bottle down and stood next to him so that they both could watch their idol play with his bunny.

"Shuichi, you are so cool for setting this up! I can't believe I'm staring at _the_ Ryuichi Sakuma!"

"Yeah, we've been planning to do something like this for awhile, and I thought you'd like to come since you didn't get into the concert." Shuichi looked up at him and grinned, "It's not exactly a Nittle Grasper concert, but it's something."

"This is even better than a Nittle Grasper concert! Thanks a lot, Shuichi!" Tatsuha was overcome with a sense of victory and he felt like rubbing someone's face in it. "When I get home, I'm gonna tell Mika I met Ryuichi without her help!"

"No! Don't do that!"

Tatsuha looked down at Shuichi with a confused look. For some reason, Shuichi looked upset.

"Why not?" he asked.

Shuichi began to whisper, "Because, I don't want it to get back to Seguchi-san that I brought you here to meet Ryuichi. I might get in trouble and Bad Luck could suffer. Ryuichi isn't even supposed to _be_ here. He said he was supposed to meet with Seguchi-san, and I don't know if _he'd_ like the idea of you two being in the same room together without him there to keep an eye on you.

Now Tatsuha looked upset. The very idea of Tohma keeping tabs on him made him angry, "Tohma doesn't have to watch me all the time! And Ryuichi doesn't have to listen to him either!"

Shuichi sighed, "All I'm saying is, Seguchi-san and Ryuichi have been friends for a long time. They spend so much time together. It only makes sense that Ryuichi trusts and listens to him.

Tatsuha stared at Ryuichi again. The lead vocalist had his back turned to him, and he was still playing with his pink bunny. Tatsuha's eyes sharpened and he gently bit his bottom lip. He eyed his prey with intensity, and Shuichi didn't like the look on his face at all. He could easily tell that Tatsuha was plotting something.

"…It's normal for Ryuichi to hang around Tohma, huh?" Tatsuha's lips formed a devious grin and his voice was deep and smooth, "In that case…I'll just have to steal him away, won't I?"

"Tatsuha!", Shuichi objected, "Quiet! He's right over there, he could hear you!"

"Oh, don't worry," he replied with a long sigh, "he's all the way across the room with kumagoro, there's no way he could've heard anything I've said."

"Just don't do anything I wouldn't do." And with that said Shuichi walked out of the room to join his other band mates.

Tatsuha was left alone with Ryuichi, and he felt it was the perfect time to get to know him better. He walked over to Ryu and stood next to him.

"Hi" he greeted, after taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. But Ryu didn't really seem to be paying attention. He was more focused on tossing Kumagoro up into the air. Tatsuha spoke a little louder, "Hello, Sakuma-san."

Ryuichi caught Kumagoro and then turned to him. He smiled, stood up from his chair, and placed the bunny on top of his head. "Hello, na no da."

Tatsuha smiled back at him, "Hi…I just wanted to tell you that you're an awesome singer and the song you're recording with Shuichi sounds great."

"Thanks, Tatsuba. Kumagoro and I love compliments."

Tatsuha paused for a moment, "…um…my name's Tatsu_ha_, n-not that it's a big deal or anything."

"Oh? Right!" Ryuichi nodded, and Kumagoro fell from the top of his head to the floor. "oops."

"I'll get him for you." Tatsuha bent over and grabbed the bunny lying at his feet. He pulled himself back up with a cheerful grin on his face. "Don't worry," he laughed, "He's okay!"

There was that laugh again. Ryuichi was starting to become very fond of it. It left more of an impression on him than Tatsuha could've even realized, and he almost wished he could hear it all the time. There was something about the young monk that he admired a lot; he just wasn't sure what it was.

Ryuichi's expression matured a little, and his eyes glanced over the teenager's entire body. Tatsuha didn't notice the singer observing him, but he did notice a chocolate stain on the bunny's bowtie.

"…..he likes you."

Tatsuha looked up from Kumagoro and found himself staring directly into Ryu's eyes again, only this time they had changed. They were strong and even more breath-taking.

"W-what did you say?"

"I said, Kuma-chan likes you." Ryu moved closer to him, "He likes you a lot."

Tatsuha felt his hands shaking. Somehow, he was having trouble controlling his nerves. _That_ was just the effect Ryuichi had on him. He tried not to let it show on his face and managed to gather some of his strength back. "Yeah," he replied, "but not as much as he likes sweets."

"How'd you know Kuma-chan likes sweets?"

"I just had a feeling he did."

"….I have feelings too sometimes. In fact, I had one just yesterday." Ryuichi reached out and wrapped both of his hands around the bunny Tatsuha was still holding. His hands brushed against Tatsuha's, and the shaking stopped. Ryu's touch was all he needed, even if it was only for a second.

Ryu took his Kuma-chan back and squeezed it against his chest. "It was a strong feeling," he continued, "and right now, I'm _really_ glad I trusted it."

Tatsuha clenched his fists. It was now or never, and he'd waited long enough. He had something he really wanted to say, and he finally found the one person who he thought would actually listen. He took a deep breath, "Sakuma-san, I--"

"Wow, this is a recording studio?"

The sound of the door opening and a small, timid voice caught both of their attention, and they turned their heads towards it to see Komako standing in the doorway.

She took a step backwards and hesitated for a moment when she realized there were people already in the room.

"Oh!" she gasped, "I'm sorry. I didn't know people were working in here. I'll go somewhere else."

"No, it's okay Komako-san. Come in." Ryuichi recognized her immediately and motioned for her to step inside the room. When she saw him, she was a little surprised.

"Sakuma-san, you're here? But why? You weren't at the meeting."

"Something came up. I had to miss it," he explained.

She walked into the room and they began to talk for awhile. During their entire conversation, Tatsuha kept to himself. Ryuichi's attention had been taken from him, and he was more than determined to get it back. He grabbed his backpack, reached in, and pulled out a pen and a torn piece of paper. Ryuichi was suddenly reminded of Tatsuha's presence.

"Oh, I forgot." He turned and pointed at Tatsuha, and then looked back at Komako. "That kid over there is Tatsuka. He's Tohma's brother-in-law."

"Uh, Sakuma-san,…it's pronounced Tatsu_ha_."

"Oh? Right!" Ryuichi nodded, and Komako blushed. She looked at Tatsuha, and noticed how handsome he was. She suddenly felt shy, and she couldn't bring herself to look directly at him. She rubbed her face, hoping that she could somehow get rid of the bright pink color in her cheeks.

"I-It's n-nice to meet you, Tatsuha," she stuttered. Tatsuha shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah…likewise." His body language said he didn't care.

At that moment, all three members of Bad Luck walked in, "Okay, we're ready to get back to recording." They walked back into the isolation both and over to their instruments. As Hiro and Suguru began to warm up, Shuichi called to Ryuichi. "Sakuma-san, we're getting ready to play."

"I'll be there in a minute!" he called back. He talked to Komako for a little bit longer.

"Okay, Komako-san, we're about to play again. It's a new song. Do you want to watch?"

"Yes. I'd love to, but first I have to visit the ladies room. I'll only be a minute." She placed her purse onto the table, walked towards the door, and called back to him as she was leaving, "I'll be right back! Don't start without me!"

Ryuichi watched her leave and then stood still for a minute. His arms were empty, and after a short while he realized that something was missing. "Kumagoro? Where'd you go?"

He looked down and saw the bunny lying on the ground. "Kumagoro!" he giggled, "What are you doing on the floor again? It's dirty!"

He bent over and grabbed the bunny, and as he began to pull himself back up he felt something press against the back of his knee. A hand slowly traveled up the back of his leg and lightly stroked his upper thigh.

Ryuichi gasped and stood up straight. The hand moved to the side of his thigh and fingers gently traced the stitching of his jeans all the way up to his back pocket, where they rested for a moment.

He started to blush. His heart was beating a little faster, and he took a few deep breaths in order to calm it. The hand pressed a little harder against him, and it did so in one of the most intimate ways possible. Then he felt something push into his pocket.

Shuichi called into the room again, "Hey! Tatsuha! Could you help me with this?"

The pressure Ryu felt suddenly stopped, but he didn't turn around. He heard footsteps behind him, walking towards the instruments.

Ryuichi slowly reached into his back pocket and pulled out a torn piece of paper that had been folded. He slowly unfolded it, and written on it was the name "Tatsuha Uesugi". There were numbers scribbled just below it.

"A phone number? …That was bold…and tempting."

He stared at it for awhile, and was about to put it back into his pocket. But then he paused and had second thoughts. He felt conflicted, and reluctantly made a decision to get rid of it. "It would be better for both of us," he whispered, and he dropped it into the nearest bag he could find—Komako's purse.

Ryuichi walked into the isolation booth, where Tatsuha was helping Shuichi set up his microphone. He stood in the doorway, staring at him, and the room suddenly seemed a lot smaller than it used to be.

"Shuichi, I can't stay here."

Everyone stopped what they were doing to listen to Ryuichi speak. The room was still, as if time had frozen, and everyone was quiet except for Shuichi. "Why, Sakuma-san?"

"I have to leave, _now_."

Ryuichi didn't stay to give any further answers and he quickly left the room. Tatsuha dropped everything he had in his hands and ran after him, leaving a large mess and three confused musicians behind.

Suguru threw his arms up into the air in frustration, "Ahhh! We're never going to get _anything_ done!"

Shuichi turned to Hiro, "What was _that_ all about? What just happened right now?!"

Hiro shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, "Don't ask _me_. I've got no clue."

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"What on earth could he be thinking?"

Tohma walked through the halls of N-G. After having found out that the information he received from the phone call concerning Ryuichi's whereabouts was false, he started heading towards the recording studios to meet up with Komako. On his way there he tried to figure out Ryuichi's way of thinking, as if trying to solve a very difficult cross-word puzzle. They had spent so many years together, and Ryuichi still managed to confuse him every now and then.

"It's so unlike him. Surely by now he would've returned one of my phone calls. Where could he be? What could he possibly be doing?"

With each passing hour, Tohma became even more concerned. But work was a bigger priority, and now he had to find Komako at the recording studios.

"I wonder if Bad Luck went ahead with their recording session without Ryuichi-san," he thought, "It certainly wouldn't be a bad idea if I dropped by."

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Ryuichi walked at a very fast pace in the hallway outside of the recording studio that he'd just left. He was about halfway down the hall when he heard Tatsuha trying to catch up with him.

"Sakuma-san! Wait!"

He walked faster when he heard Tatsuha calling to him, and he tried his best not to turn around and look at him. Back in the studio, when he held Tatsuha's phone number, he realized that the feelings he had for the teen were much stronger than they should've been…almost to the point where he wasn't sure if he could control himself. And thoughts of his girlfriend and his age made him feel even guiltier. Nothing good would come from a _friendship_ between them, so he thought it best just to avoid him altogether.

"Hey! Sakuma-san! Wait! …_Please_!"

When Tatsuha said please, Ryuichi couldn't help but stop. He was reluctant to turn around, but he did so anyway. He watched Tatsuha walk up to him, and they both quickly realized that they were standing in the exact spot where they had met only a few hours earlier.

Tatsuha had a concerned look on his face, "Sakuma-san, is something wrong?"

Ryuichi smiled, "What do you mean? What would make you think that there's something wrong with me?"

Tatsuha saw right through his act. There was nothing sincere about Ryuichi's smile. But instead of pointing it out, he disregarded it. "Can I speak with you?"

"Sorry, I'm in a hurry. I don't have time." Ryuichi responded quickly and then turned around to walk away.

"Don't leave!" Tatsuha jumped in front of him, "I need to tell you something."

"Tatsura, I have to go--"

"I Love you."

"……."

Tatsuha's confession was completely on impulse. He had said those words before he'd even realized he was speaking. It definitely got Ryuichi's attention, he was surprised and he didn't say anything. Tatsuha continued to talk.

"I mean…what I meant to say was…that I really care about you…and admire you." Tatsuha couldn't find all of the words he wanted to say and it was getting harder for him to speak. "I like everything about you…_everything_. And I was hoping that--"

"Stop right there," Ryuichi interrupted. He had heard enough and he couldn't let Tatsuha continue. Ryuichi was serious now, and his eyes were intense. "Do you know how many times I've heard that before?" His voice was kind and sympathetic as he spoke, and he answered his own question before Tatsuha could open his mouth. "Too many times to even remember. _Many_ other fans have said that to me."

Ryuichi moved closer to him, "I don't mean to hurt your feelings…but what you were about to say, and I _know_ what you were about to say, …it's just not gonna happen."

He placed a hand on Tatsuha's shoulder, "You're a great fan, and an even cooler kid. You should go find some other kid to be with."

Tatsuha looked down into Ryuichi's eyes, "…But I don't want anyone else."

Ryuichi paused for a minute, "…I'm sorry Tatsura." He walked past the young teenager and headed towards the elevators.

Want and need completely took over Tatsuha's body, and he suddenly grabbed Ryu's arm and stopped him. Ryuichi turned around instantly, and Tatsuha pulled him into a strong embrace. His arms wrapped tightly around the singer's waist to prevent any chance of escape, and Ryuichi's entire body tensed up.

"My name is Tatsuha," he whispered, in a low voice that sent chills down Ryuichi's spine, "and this time, I won't let you forget it."

Tatsuha closed his eyes and pressed his lips firmly against Ryuichi's. He relished in the taste of Ryu's soft, sweet lips, and passion guided one of his hands up the middle of Ryu's back.

Ryuichi's body relaxed under the warmth of Tatsuha's fingertips. He began to feel dizzy, and his legs felt weak to the point where it was harder to stand. Tatsuha was more than happy to support his weight for him, and in return Ryuichi subconsciously agreed to part his lips and allow a deeper kiss. Warm breath blended together as their lips locked into place, and Tatsuha felt a soft and gentle moan escape from Ryu's mouth.

When Tatsuha finally broke the kiss and their lips separated, Ryuichi opened his eyes and tried to catch his breath. He gazed into Tatsuha's eyes and his heart pounded rapidly in his chest.

"I…I c-can't…breath." He panted.

Tatsuha smiled down at him and placed another kiss on his forehead. Ryuichi closed his eyes again, and purred softly in response.

"T-Tatsu--"

Two huge security guards yanked them both back to reality when they made their way through the hall and grabbed Tatsuha from behind. Ryuichi stepped back, too stunned to say anything.

"Hey! What's going on?! Let go of me!" Tatsuha struggled against them, but they were too strong, "Why are you doing this?!"

"Because I told them too!"

Tatsuha turned towards the elevators and saw Tohma glaring at him. He had walked in a few minutes earlier, just in time to witness the entire kiss. Then he called security.

Ryuichi jumped to Tatsuha's rescue, "Tohma! Make them stop!"

"Be quiet, Ryuichi-san! Now's not the time!" Tohma scolded. He had anger in his eyes and outrage in his voice.

Tohma turned to the security guards and gave his orders, "Get him out of this building immediately! _I_ will deal with him later."

"No! You can't do this! Let go of me!" Tatsuha struggled against the security guards the entire time he was dragged out, and Ryuichi could do nothing but watch the teen get pulled away from him.

He stood in the middle of the hall and, when Tatsuha had completely left his sight, he brushed the tips of his fingers against his bare lips.

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Komako re-entered the recording studio after a short bathroom visit, only to find that both Ryuichi and Tatsuha were gone.

"They must've stopped recording…guess I'll find Seguchi-san."

She walked over to her purse and as she picked it up, she noticed something.

There was a piece of paper with Tatsuha's name scribbled on it.

She picked it up, "He…he left me his phone number?" She smiled and her face turned bright red, "He wants me to call him! He must like me!"

She grabbed her purse, and as she left the room she giggled to herself.

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The sun was beginning to set, and Tatsuha was getting tired of standing around. A whole hour had passed since he was thrown out of the N-G building, and he waited patiently for Shuichi to come out. A brilliant glow appeared on the horizon as the sun went down and a sky filled with darkness followed it as night approached, ready to swallow up any remaining sunlight. Soon the city would fill the sky with bright neon lights, but at that moment it looked natural and beautiful.

But it didn't matter to Tatsuha how beautiful it looked. He felt awful, and for some reason the sunlight was making it worse. He mumbled quietly to himself, "I wish I had my blindfold back."

Nothing could've possibly cheered him up. His heart was heavy and he lowered his head, unsure if he would ever lift it again. As he stared at the ground, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching him from behind. The footsteps stopped directly behind him and another shadow, besides his, was cast on the ground.

A voice spoke to him, "Aww, what's wrong Tatsuda?"

Tatsuha quickly turned around to respond, "It's pronounced Tatsu--!" He paused in his sentence and saw a pair of blue eyes that were impossible to forget staring back at him.

Ryuichi stood in front of him, wearing a hat as part of his disguise. He had taken off his sunglasses and he carried a very familiar-looking backpack in his left hand.

"I know what your name is." He moved closer to him and wrapped his arms around Tatsuha's neck, "And mine is Ryuichi…not Sakuma-san."

He moved his face closer to Tatsuha's and closed his eyes. The singer looked as if he was expecting something to happen, but Tatsuha didn't make a move. He was too frozen from shock.

After about seven seconds, Ryuichi opened his eyes again. He lifted his lips to Tatsuha's and whispered softly on them, "Why are you hesitating? _Now's_ your chance. _Steal_ me away."

"…You heard me say that earlier?!"

Ryuichi grinned at him, but he didn't say anything. Instead he brushed his finger against Tatsuha's chin.

Tatsuha trembled a little with anticipation and he wrapped his arms around Ryuichi's waist again, ready for a second kiss. As he leaned in…he heard a ringing sound.

_Bring! Bring!_ Ryuichi's cell phone went off. He pulled it out of his pocket and opened it. There was a text message on the screen.

Ryuichi let out a disappointed sigh and then looked back up at Tatsuha. "Too bad," he smirked, "someone's gotten to me first. You'll have to steal me later….like tomorrow."

He left Tatsuha's arms and turned around to head in the opposite direction. Then he paused, and faced Tatsuha again.

"Oh! I forgot. Here." He lifted Tatsuha's backpack and handed it to him, "You left this."

"Thanks."

Ryuichi smiled, and as he walked away he called back to him, "Bye Tatsuha! See you later!" Tatsuha was stunned.

"…He said my name right. He knew my name the whole time." A huge smile spread across his face, "…Was he…_teasing_ me?"

Just then, Shuichi came running out of the building. "Sorry Tatsuha! I didn't mean to take so long. I'm really sorry!"

"Don't be." Tatsuha turned to him, and Shuichi was surprised to see him in such a good mood.

"It's like I said this morning," he grinned, "you have _nothing_ to apologize for."

* * *

Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it. 


	9. Tatsuha's Vanishing act

Disclaimer- Gravitation is not mine.

Warnings- They are the same. I don't want to repeat.

Author's notes- Hello! Its been a while. Yay! I'm so happy I get to write! I wanted to update sooner, but a lot has happened and I didn't get a chance to until now. Forgive me? Ok, we're picking up right where we left off. Hope you like it. Enjoy!

* * *

(Chapter 6: Tatsuha's vanishing act)

Tatsuha had been scolded many times before; perhaps too many times considering his young age. He _did_ have a tendency to repeat his own mistakes…but then again, was there ever a young "trouble-maker" who _hadn't_ experienced an occasional slap on the wrist?

Nope, Tatsuha wasn't worried. He'd heard it all before, and neither Tohma nor Mika could do anything to intimidate him…

…so he thought. But early that morning, when Mika woke him up and told him to come downstairs, his confidence was rattled a bit. Normally, his sister wouldn't wake him up herself. She'd either have a maid do it or call for him from downstairs. So for her to be standing over him when he first opened his eyes was quite a shock.

"M-Mika?" he yawned.

Tatsuha sat up in his bed, still half-asleep. He rubbed his tired eyes so he could see better, "It's early sis. It's only dawn!"

Mika stepped back from the side of his bed and faced the door. As she walked towards it, she paused for a moment and then repeated herself without bothering to turn back around. Her slow and eerie way of speaking was completely unexpected, "Come downstairs, Tatsuha…Tohma and I need to talk to you." As she passed through the doorway, she glared at her brother. "Brace yourself," she warned. Her fierce eyes made him shiver a little, as if she had splashed him with ice-water, and for only a few seconds she reminded him of Eiri.

After she left the room, Tatsuha crawled out of his bed and threw on some clothes. "Judgment day," he sighed, and as he walked down the stairs, he thought of the punishment he would be receiving. Surely it would be a phone call to his father. All he had to do was find a way out of it.

The young monk was sure he could get out of anything. This "punishment-thing" was so second-nature to him now, that the very idea of Mika even _trying_ to scold him was almost laughable. But funny as it seemed, he couldn't shake his un-easy feeling. It was as if the worst to come was just around the corner…waiting for him in the next room.

He took a few deep breaths as he approached the large room where both Tohma and Mika were expecting him. This beautiful part of the house was about to turn into a battlefield…and Tatsuha would step into enemy territory as a samurai warrior, fully prepared to fight any battle.

"No matter what," he thought to himself, "I'm going to defend myself. There's no way I'll loose!"

When he entered the room, he was met with complete silence.

Tohma sat in an expensive-looking armchair facing the doorway in which Tatsuha stood. His legs were crossed and he wore his usual suit and hat. His smile, however, was nowhere in sight. Mika stood next to the armchair, and one of her hands rested on Tohma's shoulder. She was to play the role of supportive wife, and she was ready to agree with whatever decision her husband made.

Mika motioned for Tatsuha to sit in the chair directly across from them. He followed her instructions, and as soon as he sat down the sentencing began.

"You know why you're here?" Tohma asked calmly. His voice was smooth and it carried a great deal of authority.

"Yes. I think I do." Tatsuha answered, with an amount of strength that could easily match up against his brother-in-law.

So which would win? Strength or authority?

"So," Tohma continued, "You know what you've done?"

"Yes. I know good and well what I've done." Tatsuha leaned back in his chair and a huge grin stretched across his face, "Whether or not it was a 'bad thing' is a completely different story."

"You must be joking! Of course it was a bad thing!" Tohma accidentally raised his voice. Usually he did an excellent job of keeping himself poised and under control, but the smug-look on Tatsuha's face was making it a lot harder for him to do so.

"Tatsuha," Tohma continued, in a much calmer voice this time, "you know what you did was wrong. You completely distracted Ryuichi-san from what he was supposed to be doing. I don't know how you did it, but you did. He ended up missing a meeting because of you!" Tohma stared directly into Tatsuha's eyes. Unlike Mika's icy glare, his was sharp, and Tatsuha felt twenty knives piercing his skin, "I know you like to flirt but, when you kissed Ryuichi-san, you crossed the line." As he spoke, the image of Tatsuha suddenly grabbing Ryuichi by the waist appeared in his mind. The kiss replayed over and over in his head, refusing to be erased. "Your behavior was inexcusable, and I simply won't allow it!"

"What's the big deal?! I didn't hurt anyone, and besides…Ryuichi _liked_ it."

Tohma's eyes narrowed, "You're pushing it, kid."

"Don't call me kid."

"You _are_ a kid, Tatsuha. You're a kid staying under _my_ roof. Don't forget that!"

"Well then, maybe I should go stay with someone else! Maybe Aniki will take me in! Or better yet, Ryuichi will let--!

"Stop it! That's enough!" Tohma had heard all that he could stand, "I can't take anymore of your ongoing nonsense! For you to even suggest that Ryuichi-san would--"

"Ryuichi _would_!"

"That's Sakuma-san to you! And he wouldn't do any such thing! When will you stop playing these games, Tatsuha? When will you grow up?"

Tatsuha didn't say anything. He could tell that Tohma was really pissed off. To make it worse would probably mean a harsher punishment than what he would already be receiving.

Tohma sighed heavily in his chair, "Oh my…this is too much to deal with. I have the right mind to just go ahead and send you home to your father."

Mika didn't say anything throughout the entire conversation. The whole time, she watched her husband and brother go back and forth without interfering. But when she heard Tohma threaten to send Tatsuha back home, she thought of her father and her grip tightened on Tohma's shoulder. Tohma looked up at her and saw her worried expression, and then he quickly changed his mind.

"Tatsuha…Mika and I…will not be sending you home."

The young monk hadn't realized that he was holding his breath but, after hearing that he wouldn't be sent home, he let out a huge sigh of relief.

"However…Mika and I feel like you haven't been putting enough effort into your monk duties…which, by the way, is the whole reason you're even here. So, as punishment, you are to quit your job and put all of that extra time into studying at the temple."

Tatsuha folded his arms, "…fine."

"Also," Tohma added, "you are not to go anywhere near N-G."

"What?!"

"I mean it! You are not to enter the N-G building from now on. Only if you are accompanied by an adult chaperone, who will watch you 24/7, will I even consider letting you back into that building."

Tatsuha objected immediately. N-G was his only chance of running into Ryuichi again,

"You can't be serious, right?" He turned to his sister, "You guys aren't serious, right?"

Mika turned away from her brother without saying a single word, but Tohma didn't have a problem answering his questions. "Of course we're serious. We've given this a lot of thought and the decision we've made is final."

With that said, Tohma stood up from his chair and gathered a few of his things together. "Now that that's settled," he said, "I must be off to work."

Tatsuha bit his lip to keep himself from speaking. As Tohma headed for the door, the teen turned away from him. He was determined to avoid any eye-contact with his brother-in-law and, after hearing Tohma's footsteps leave the room, he gripped the cushion of his seat with both hands.

Mika escorted her husband to the front door and gave him a short kiss goodbye, but before Tohma could walk to his car she quickly wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big hug. She squeezed tightly and whispered into his ear, "Thank you."

"…Mika."

"Thank you, Tohma," she repeated, "thanks for not sending him away. Thanks for giving him another chance. He's a handful, but a good kid. This will work out, you'll see. It's only a rebellious phase."

Tohma wrapped his arms around Mika and returned her hug. "I know he's a good kid…I know," he replied, "Even if he's a pain, I'll try to bear it for a little longer."

They separated, and Mika waved goodbye as she watched Tohma get into his car and drive off. When she walked back inside, she remembered the look Tatsuha had on his face as she left him sitting in the room.

"Uh-oh," she sighed, "This won't be pretty."

She re-entered the room where her brother still sat in his chair. His back was turned to her and he hunched over a little. She could hear him gritting his teeth. "Oh, stop pouting ya big baby!" she yelled jokingly. Tatsuha didn't think anything was funny, and when he didn't say anything Mika spoke again. "What's this? No smart-ass comeback?" she smiled, "Has the great Tatsuha finally been subdued?"

"Shut up. Leave me alone."

Mika was surprised at Tatsuha's reply and she quickly became serious in response. "You brought it on yourself, you know. These things wouldn't happen if you'd just behave. What Tohma said to you was right."

In no way could Mika have ever realized that the last sentence she spoke would spark a fire so heated that she could barely control it…until she and Tatsuha began arguing.

"What?! I can't believe you're siding with him!"

"It's not my fault, Tatsuha! It's yours!"

"Spare me! I don't even want to listen to you!"

"Damn it, Tatsuha! We're just trying to help you! Don't _bite_ the hand that feeds!"

"I don't need your help!"

Tatsuha ran upstairs to his room and Mika called after him, "Don't run from me! We're not done here!" She thought of chasing him, but changed her mind after a little bit of thought. "…no. I better leave him alone for awhile."

Mika was very tired after the fight with Tatsuha. It took a lot of energy to go toe-to-toe with her brother, so afterwards she was beat. She plopped down on the chair, threw her head back, and started talking to herself. "Oh, father…now I see why you needed time to yourself. How did you do it?"

As she began to rub her forehead, she heard Ryuichi Sakuma's voice singing to her from a distance.

"What the…?"

She looked around. It was a ring tone coming from Tatsuha's cell phone. Mika grunted a little, and then she called up to her brother again. "Tatsuhaaaa! You left your phone down here! It's ringing!"

There was no answer.

She tried again, this time yelling at the top of her lungs. "Tatsuhaaaa!! Your cell phone is ringing!"

There still wasn't an answer.

"Huh, he must be really pissed at me," she said casually, "oh well, I guess he won't mind me answering then."

She picked up the phone, "Hello?"

The small and timid voice of a young girl answered, "Oh…um…hello. Is Tatsuha-kun there?" The girl was surprised that a woman answered, and she seemed embarrassed to have called.

"Who, may I ask, is calling?" Mika replied.

"It's Kannagi, Komako."

"Oh! You're the daughter of Kannagi-san. Tohma spoke of you…but why would you be calling Tatsuha?"

"Um…I…well…he gave me this number and…"

Mika chuckled over the phone, "Don't worry. You don't have to answer that question. I'm kinda sorry I even asked. Hold on a minute, I'll get him."

She ran up the stairs to Tatsuha's room, cell phone still in hand, and she knocked on the door. "Tatsuha, you have a phone call."

No answer.

"Tatsuha, it's-a-woooomaaaan!" she said, in a teasing way.

Still no answer.

"Ok, Tatsuha, now I'm mad. It's rude to keep this girl waiting just because you're pissed at me."

She turned the doorknob and, as soon as the door opened, her jaw dropped from shock. Her entire body froze and the phone fell from her hand.

"Tat--Tatsuha?!"

The room was empty. Tatsuha was gone, and the window was wide open with tied up bed sheets hanging out of it. She rushed to the window and noticed that the bed sheets led all the way down to the ground. Then, she frantically looked around the room and noticed a few more things missing--his backpack, and some of his clothes.

Mika's heart rate sped up instantly. She sat on the bed, still stunned, and tried to steady her breathing. As she breathed in deeply, she heard Komako's voice coming from the phone. She picked it up, pressed it to her ear, and spoke.

"Komako-san …he's busy at the moment…I'll have him call you back."

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"_Tatsuha_…"

Ryuichi sighed, and he leaned against the wall behind him in a daze. It was early in the morning, and he stood in front of the N-G building. He held a small bag in his left hand and wore his usual disguise- a hat and sunglasses- to keep from being recognized. However, the pink bunny he squeezed in his right arm could've been a dead give-away.

Good thing there weren't _too_ many people around the building to notice at that time of day. Most of them had gone inside and were busy doing their jobs. And while they were inside with their minds on work, Ryuichi was outside with his mind on one person only.

"Tatsuha." he whispered, with a smile on his face as he hugged Kumagoro closer to his body, "Tatsuha, Tatsuha, Tatsuha!" Each time he said that name, his smile grew wider. He chuckled and hummed it as if it were a song, and before he even realized it, he was grinning wildly with excitement. "Tatsuha…I _love_ that name." He lifted his head towards the sky and pressed the tips of his fingers against his lips. "_Never_," he grinned, "I'll _never_ forget it."

In all of his daydreaming, he didn't notice the small bag slipping from his grasp. He flinched when he heard it strike the concrete.

"Oh no! I dropped it!"

The singer quickly retrieved the bag from the ground and opened it. He checked to make sure nothing was broken, "Phew! It's ok!"

He reached in and pulled out a brand new C.D. player. It was like Tatsuha's old one, only much better, and Ryuichi even went as far as to have a new logo added on the front to make it "extra shiny". It was a custom made pink Kumagoro bunny wearing silver headphones, and little music notes circled its ears. It was one-of-a-kind.

"I hope he likes it." Ryuichi blushed a little, and he never stopped smiling. As he looked down, he caught Kumagoro staring up at him suspiciously.

"Wha-What?! Why are you staring at me? It's just a gift! An innocent gift! It's the least I could do for breaking his other one, right?! Don't worry!" He panicked a little as he explained himself. It was very hard to get anything past Kuma-chan, and the bunny still didn't seem to be fully convinced. Ryuichi nervously laughed it off, "Oh, Kuma-chan! You're a real joker, ha-ha!" Kumagoro ignored it, but he knew what was _really_ going on. After all, no one knew Ryu-chan better.

Ryuichi gripped the C.D. player anxiously, "I can't wait to give it to him. He'll be so happy…but I wonder when he'll get here?" he sighed again, "I hope it's soon."

He was beginning to get restless. He had waited as patiently as he could for the teenager to arrive, but each passing minute was starting to get to him. Yes it _was_ early, but he decided that early was the best time to wait. He was worried that Tatsuha would show up and he wouldn't be there. So, first thing in the morning, he went to N-G. That way, it didn't matter what time the teen showed up, they wouldn't accidentally miss each other. Ryuichi wouldn't mind having to wait most of the day, as long as he saw Tatsuha again.

But the longer he waited, the more uncertain he became. Many questions began to pop into his head, and he immediately asked Kumagoro for answers.

"Kuma-chan, what should I say when he gets here? What should we do? Where should we go? How should I act? What if he--?

Ryuichi was speaking too fast for Kuma-chan to answer, but suddenly, during his last question, he paused. His heart started racing and his cheeks turned bright red. "Wh-What if he…_kisses_ me again?"

"…"

The thought of another kiss made him smile even more and for once, Kumagoro had no words for him. The bunny could only stare, and Ryuichi actually began to feel a little uncomfortable. "What?" he mumbled, "Don't look at me like _that_."

His uncomfortable feeling quickly changed to guilt. He thought of his age, of his girlfriend, of right vs. wrong, and then he began to question himself.

"What am I _doing_? …What was I _thinking_?" He lowered his head, "This is wrong. I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't--"

"Ryuichi-san!"

The sudden sound of his name made him jump. He almost dropped the C.D. player again, but he caught it in midair and quickly stuffed it back into his bag. When he looked up, he saw Tohma walking towards him.

"Ryuichi-san! I said good morning four times, but I guess you couldn't hear me." Tohma smiled.

"Tohma! I-I didn't see you there! Good morning, na no da." Ryuichi's voice was nervous and shaky, but cheerful.

"You're up early …that's a little strange, especially since you're on vacation. That's so unlike you." Tohma could see that his band mate was nervous, but he didn't know why and he started to get suspicious, "Ryuichi-san, why are you even at N-G? You don't have to work."

"Ummmm…I came to see you, na no da!"

"It's early. How'd you know I'd be here?"

"Ummmm…lucky guess?"

"Ryuichi-san," Tohma raised an eyebrow, "What's in the bag?" He began to feel like Ryu was hiding something.

"It's my lunch, na no da!" he shouted happily.

"…but its breakfast time and…never mind, I won't question it." Tohma decided to drop it. It _was_ Ryuichi after all. _He_ wasn't the type of person that made sense.

"Tohma!" Ryuichi shouted cheerfully, "Why _are_ you here early? What's going on? Somethin' important happenin' today?"

"No. I just needed to get away from the house, so I decided to come to work early."

"You needed to get away?" Ryuichi looked concerned and he tilted his head, "But why?"

"It's Tatsuha."

The second Tohma mentioned that name, Ryuichi's eyes widened and he gave him his full attention. "What about Tatsuha?"

"Mika and I scolded him this morning. He didn't take it very well." Tohma looked at his friend with soft eyes, "Ryuichi-san, let me be the first to apologize for Tatsuha's behavior the other day. I assure you that such recklessness did not go unpunished, and it will not happen again. I'll make sure he apologizes to you properly, later."

Ryuichi didn't hear anything past "unpunished".

"So…you punished him?"

"Yes."

"Was it…_harsh_?"

"Well, I wouldn't say so. I think I went rather easy on him. He's not allowed to come anywhere near N-G."

Ryuichi's head lowered again, but this time he was disappointed.

"So, he's _not_ coming."

"Of course not," Tohma answered casually, "He won't bother you again. You have no need to worry."

"…but I can't help it," he whispered, "I'm worried."

Tohma didn't hear Ryuichi's last reply. He opened the front door and motioned for Ryu to come inside. "Come on, Ryuichi-san. You didn't have to wait outside for me. Come inside and I'll order us some breakfast."

Ryuichi followed his band mate through the door and, as he stepped inside, he looked back one more time to see if a certain someone was there. When he didn't see anyone coming, a sharp pain struck his heart and he squeezed the bag in his hand. "I'm worried," he sighed, "I hope he's ok."

* * *

I did it again! I split up the chapter! -sigh- I can't break my habit. 

Anyway, the first half is done...so, if you feel like it, go read the next half. Thanks for reading!


	10. Tatsuha's Vanishing actpart2

Disclaimer- Gravitation is not mine.

Warnings- They are the same.

Author notes- Here's the second half.

* * *

(Chapter 6: Tatsuha's vanishing act- part 2)

Many hours had passed, and Mika spent each one of them searching for her brother. It was past noon and so far she couldn't find any information on his whereabouts. She checked his favorite hangouts and called most of his friends, but he was nowhere to be found. And now, as a last resort, she was speaking to a monk at the temple where Tatsuha trained.

"Are you sure? He hasn't contacted you or dropped by?" she asked.

An elderly man dressed in monk's robes slowly shook his head, "I'm sure. We haven't seen him all day…in fact, we suspect that he's skipped a few times."

"Oh _really_? Has he now?" she smiled sweetly, _"That little brat!"_ she thought.

The old monk smiled back, "We haven't seen him, but I assure you, we will let you know if we do."

"Thank you very much. Sorry for taking up your time."

He nodded, and she bowed gracefully.

She calmly walked away from the temple without looking back and she kept her strong composure, but after she got into her car she lost it. Her frustration took over and she couldn't control herself.

"Damn it!" she yelled as she punched the dashboard. Her hand turned red and throbbed from pain, "Ouch…"

She let out a frustrated growl and rested her forehead on the edge of the steering wheel. "Steady, Mika," she whispered to herself, "You can handle this, no problem. He's done this before…but he's never taken his clothes with him!"

She tried to convince herself that Tatsuha would return soon, but she only seemed to make herself feel worse.

"Let's see, he probably hasn't left Tokyo…but Tokyo's so crowded! How will I find him?" Mika thought of every place he could've gone and then went over them several times. Then, she thought of the places she already checked. "He's not in his favorite stores, he hasn't checked into any hotels, none of his friends have heard from him, Eiri and Shuichi haven't seen him…it's like he just vanished off the face of the Earth!"

She raised her head from the steering wheel. "BAKA! Where the hell are you?!" she screamed, "You better hope I don't find you! 'Cause if I do I'll…_I'll_!" She paused for a moment, "…I'll…"

Her outburst was followed by silence. She was quiet for a while…and then she thought of one more place to search.

"N-G…I haven't checked N-G yet."

Mika was about to call Tohma, but then she changed her mind. She had just told him that morning that Tatsuha was a good kid. How ironic would it be if she called him now to tell him that Tatsuha had run away? "No way. I refuse to tell him. I'll just have to look for him myself."

She sat up straight and put her seatbelt on. "Tatsuha," she thought, as she started her car, "where could you be?"

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"I can't take any more of it, Tohma! I have to talk to Ryuichi!"

Noriko was annoyed, and Tohma tried to calm her down, "Please, Noriko. If you raise your voice Ryuichi will hear you."

Both of them stood in the hall outside one of N-G's offices. Noriko had just walked in after a long day of "baby-sitting" Ryu's girlfriend, and she was exhausted. "I love doing favors for Ryu-chan, Tohma…but she's so spoiled and demanding! I can't keep entertaining her for him. I'll go crazy!"

Tohma folded his arms, "Weren't you the one who told me that we needed to be supportive of Ryuichi and try to get along with Terra-san?"

"Yes!" she replied, "But _I'm_ not her boyfriend…and I'm starting to wonder if a _real_ friend would actually let Ryu date her."

"To be honest, I'm starting to wonder that as well. That woman only seems to add more stress to Ryuichi-san's life, otherwise he wouldn't constantly try to avoid her." Tohma unfolded his arms and rubbed his chin, "Ryuichi-san is confusing. He's a genius, but he's been acting a lot stranger than normal lately. Anyway, if those two are together…then there _has_ to be a good reason."

"There is."

Noriko and Tohma flinched at the sound of Ryuichi's voice, and they both turned to see him standing in the office door-way.

The lead singer yawned and walked up to them with his bunny cradled in his arms. "Geez guys, all of your loud talking woke me and Kuma-chan up from our nap."

His band mates stared at him for a while. Noriko moved closer to him and was the first to speak. "Ryuichi," she said in a sympathetic tone, "I know you're tired…but this is starting to get ridiculous. We're on our break and I have a family. I can't entertain Terra-san every day."

Ryuichi's eyes were suddenly strong and he became serious, "I know. It's not fair to you or Terra. I'm sorry you had to put up with her. Believe it or not, she wasn't always that way."

Ryuichi lowered his gaze and Noriko placed her hands on his shoulders, "Ryu-chan…do you _love_ her? I mean _really_ love her?"

He couldn't answer her question and was silent. She would've gotten a better reaction if she had asked him to define the meaning of life. "Ryu-chan," she spoke again, "If you don't, then you're wasting your time. If there's another reason you're with her, then you can tell us. We're your friends."

Ryu thought for a moment, and then he started to reply…but for some reason the words wouldn't come out. "I-I…well, I…"

"Ryuichi-san, you don't have to tell us if you don't want to." Tohma could feel the tension in the air increasing the closer Noriko got to finding answers. He decided he had done enough interrogating for one day. "It's a little stuffy in here," he smiled, "Why don't we all step outside for some fresh air. Let's go out to eat."

Noriko got the hint, "Yeah! Good idea Tohma! Come on Ryu-chan!"

Ryuichi smiled again and his eyes were softer, "Okay!" he cheered, "Let's go, na no da!"

They walked together as friends, laughing and talking. But as they entered the lobby on their way out, their laughter was interrupted by a woman's dramatic shouts.

"You call this ice-water?! What kind of place is this?"

Terra stood in the middle of the lobby arguing with one of the secretaries.

"Terra-san," the woman replied, "this isn't a restaurant. I'm not a waitress."

"What did you say?!"

The poor woman shook her head, "Nothing."

"Okay then!" Terra shouted, "I want a new glass. Go and--"

In the middle of her sentence, she turned and spotted Ryuichi. Her voice suddenly turned sweet and she dropped the glass on the floor, leaving a mess for the secretary to clean. She ran up to Ryuichi and gave him a big hug.

"Darling!" she shouted happily, "It's been so long!"

Ryuichi stood awkwardly with her arms around him and he looked uncomfortable. "Terra…I saw you last night. You texted me, remember? We went out to dinner."

"But a day feels like forever, doesn't it? You feel the same way, right?"

"Ummmm…"

"Never mind." Terra squeezed tighter, and Ryu's band mates could only watch. Noriko squinted her eyes and her face twisted in disgust as she watched Terra hang all over him. "Ewww, gross." she mumbled.

Terra loosened her tight embrace and stared up at her boyfriend. "Ryuichi dear, it's been days and I feel like we haven't spent enough time together. I have a great idea. Let's go dancing tonight, just the two of us…" she turned towards Tohma and Noriko and grinned, "…_alone_!"

Noriko folded her arms. "Hmph! Well, fine." She mumbled sarcastically.

Terra looked at Ryuichi again, "Come on, it'll be fun."

Ryuichi didn't say anything. After a short pause, he finally nodded in agreement.

"Then it's settled," she said happily, "tonight, we're going to a nightclub."

* * *

Where is Tatsuha?! Where is he going? You'll find out next time! I don't want to give too much away, but I will tell you that he ends up in _someone's_ bed! I bet you already know _whose_- wink,wink- 

Okay! That's it for now! This chapter was going to be much longer, but my hands started cramping so I'm going to stop it there. Everything that was going to be in this chapt. will be in the next chapter. If you liked it or have any helpful comments, please let me know. Special thank you to those who reviewed my story last time. They were so nice and they made me happy! And also, Thank you for reading! -big smile-


	11. At Destiny's Door

**Disclaimer- **Gravitation is not mine!

**Warnings-** same

**Author Notes-** Hey, I'm back. Sorry it took so long. Here's the next chapter (I split it up again). I hope you like it! It starts exactly where we left off. Enjoy!

* * *

(Chapter 7: At Destiny's Door)

Nothing was more exciting than the city at night, and Tokyo had so much to offer. Karaoke bars where filling up fast, there were long lines to get into many restaurants, and the arcades were packed. Tokyo seemed much more relaxed now that the long business day had come to an end, and everyone walking down the sidewalks appeared to be enjoying themselves and the company of others. But there was _one_ person who looked a little out of place.

Tatsuha walked slowly down the sidewalk with his backpack full of clothes hanging over his shoulders. If it wasn't his good looks that made him stand out, then it was the fact that he was walking up and down the street over and over again. Finally, when he got to one end of the sidewalk, he sat down on a bench outside of a music shop and watched large groups of people pass by. He took off his backpack and set it down next to him, and with the weight finally off his shoulders, he leaned back and stretched his arms.

"Ugh, what am I gonna do now?" he mumbled to himself, as he rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Damn it, Tatsuha! You should've thought about this more!"

It had been a long and difficult day, and the night probably wouldn't be any better for him. He wandered around the streets of Tokyo the whole day with no particular destination in mind. There weren't that many options left for him. He definitely couldn't go to his brother's place. _That_ was the first place Mika would look.

All of his favorite hangouts were also out of the question. He needed to keep a low profile, just in case news of his "disappearance" had already reached Tohma. With the kind of influence Tohma had, the police would be keeping an eye out for him in no time.

And so, the situation he was left with was not the easiest one. Tatsuha had a little bit of money, the clothes he could carry, no place to stay, and no plan. All he really had a lot of was time, and he spent most of it watching people going in and out of the music shop. After a while he got bored.

He looked down at the ground and ran both of his hands through his hair. "I'm finally on my own now. I finally have the freedom I wanted…but where am I gonna go? I can't just sit here all night."

He closed his eyes and sighed, "I should've planned this out first."

Without a clue of what to do next, he thought it'd be a bad idea to waste anymore time. He wasn't about to sleep on a bench in the middle of Tokyo all night if he didn't have to, so he decided to walk around a little longer. Hopefully, he'd find a really cheap place to stay the night. And if he were lucky, he'd have enough money left over to eat and catch a one-way train out of there the next day. His family had way too many connections. No matter how much he loved the city, he didn't want to stay and risk getting caught.

With that in mind, he was about to stand up and start walking…but as soon as he opened his eyes and looked up, a young couple standing not too far away from him caught his attention.

A nice-looking guy, who seemed to be a little older than seventeen, stood next to a very pretty girl matching his age. The couple held hands as they waited to cross the street, and the girl giggled every time she turned to him. While they waited, the guy glanced around the area. When he thought no one was looking, he smiled, pulled his girlfriend close to him, and wrapped his arms around her. Tatsuha watched closely as they kissed for a split second, and then he quickly turned away.

He was immediately reminded of Ryuichi. He thought of their last moments together, and how they were supposed to meet outside of N-G that very morning.

He had missed his only opportunity, the one that he'd dreamed of for so long, because of the punishment given to him by Tohma. And after having witnessed that painful reminder, the young monk couldn't hide his disappointment, and his mood quickly turned sour.

"Shit! I'll probably never get the chance to be with Ryuichi again!" he thought, as he sat up straight in his seat. "This isn't fair! I've barely been around him, and now I can't see him anymore."

Soon, there was no end to the worries that flooded his thoughts. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, "I probably kept him waiting…Damn it! He probably thinks I skipped out on him and--"

Suddenly, another thought popped into his head, one that made his heart sink into his stomach.

"…I wonder if he waited at all…I wonder if he even showed up…wh-what if he _completely forgot_ about me?"

Tatsuha stared blankly off into space, and after a few minutes had passed, he started to believe in this worst-case scenario. For the first time in a long time, he didn't feel like his over-confident self. In his mind, it was getting harder and harder for him to picture an amazing superstar like Ryuichi Sakuma being interested in a teenage monk with a hundred bad habits. And to stop his stomach from aching, he tried to come to terms with it the best way he could.

"It's fine," he said, "It's alright if he doesn't care. I mean…no one else does, why would he? It's better that way."

He sighed again, "I…I only need to look after myself, since no one else is doing that. I'm all on my own now. I don't need anyone else."

A huge smile spread across his face as he tried to lift his spirits. "I'm a free man!" he grinned, "It'll be kinda cool, like an adventure."

Just then, Tatsuha stumbled upon the perfect way to celebrate his newfound freedom.

Three chatty women dressed for a night out gathered close to the bench he sat on. With so many people surrounding them, they didn't notice him sitting there. But he noticed them almost instantly. The first woman wore a black mini skirt, the second wore a pink tube top, and the third wore her hair in pigtails. All three seemed to be in their early twenties.

Tatsuha started listening to them in the middle of their conversation, and the one in the mini skirt seemed to be their ring leader.

"_So_, Aya? Are you coming or what?"

The woman in pigtails shrugged her shoulders, "Um, I don't know. I probably shouldn't."

The second woman responded with shock. "What?! You're gonna miss out if you don't come! Come on, it's going to be really fun!"

"Hmmm, I still don't know."

The first woman in the mini skirt continued urging her friend to go with them in a very convincing tone. "Look, Aya, everyone's raving about it. It's the newest and most exciting nightclub on this side of Tokyo. You'd be stupid not to go. _I've_ been there once before. Tons of cool people will be there."

Then, the second woman joined in. "If you don't want to go because of distance, you don't have to worry. It's just a few blocks from here. There will be dancing and drinking, you'll love it! It'll be a blast!"

"Okay, okay." The woman in pigtails finally gave in, "I'll go…but it better be worth it."

"Trust me," the first smiled, "It won't disappoint."

Tatsuha was intrigued by what he heard. It _had_ been a while since he last enjoyed himself, and he needed to have a good time. This club was practically calling his name, _begging_ him to come.

"Well," he smirked, "I guess finding a place to stay _could_ wait a little longer. There's no harm in a _little_ fun."

A light signaling the women to cross the street flashed repeatedly, and their ring leader walked out first.

"Come on, Girls!" she called to them, "Follow me. I'll show you where it is."

Tatsuha grabbed his backpack and stood up.

The three women crossed the street, with Tatsuha not far behind. He followed them closely, like a lost puppy searching for a home.

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_Bring, Bring, Bring…_

Mika jolted out of her deep sleep to the sound of the telephone ringing next to her. She had spent most of the night waiting by the phone for Tatsuha to call, and she tried her best to stay awake. But after hours of waiting she fell asleep, and now she lay on the couch, startled.

_Bring, Bring, Bring…_

She grabbed the phone and answered as fast as she could.

"Hello?! Tatsuha?!"

"…No, dear…this is your husband."

"O--Oh…Tohma?"

"…Yes," he answered, "I was just calling to let you know that I'll be working late tonight. Why did you answer the phone thinking I was Tatsuha? Isn't he there with you?"

Mika gripped her phone and couldn't respond. The long silence made Tohma even more suspicious.

"Mika?" he questioned, in a low but calm voice. "Is everything alright?"

"Well… um…" she began cautiously.

"Tatsuha _is_ with you, isn't he? Did he do anything? Should I come home?"

After hearing those words, Mika answered quickly.

"No, no. Everything's fine. I was sleeping and the phone woke me up. I was thinking so much about Tatsuha today, I guess I blurted his name out accidentally. Don't worry, Tatsuha's fine."

She heard a sigh of relief coming from the other end of the line.

"You had me worried there for a second," he chuckled, "I'm glad to hear that nothing's wrong. You should really get some rest, dear. I think your little brother's been on your mind too long."

Mika laughed hesitantly, "Ha-ha, yeah. I will."

"Well then, I have to finish working," Tohma said, "I'll see you later. Goodbye."

"Yes," she replied, "goodbye."

She slowly hung up the phone and stretched out on the couch. "Tatsuha," she sighed, as she stared up at the ceiling. "Wherever you are, hurry back here…_please_."

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"We're here!" one woman cheered as she ran ahead of the other two. She stopped at the end of the sidewalk and pointed to the left. "This is it! It's just around this corner!" she called back to them, "Come on girls, before it gets too crowded inside!"

Her friends ran to catch up with her, but Tatsuha took his time. He strolled along a little further behind them, not really sure what to expect, but he stopped dead in his tracks as soon as he turned the corner.

"_This_? This is _it_?"

In front of him was a semi-large building with a huge crowd of excited young people surrounding the front doors.

The building was very plain-looking and it didn't have any windows. It was tan, but in dark areas where there weren't any street lights, it looked brown. There wasn't any creativity in its design, either. Most clubs looked interesting and cool on the outside. This one, however, looked like a giant paper bag with doors. The outside looked so bland and boring, he wasn't sure if he still wanted to go.

"_This_ is the famous club that everyone's raving about? _This_ place?"

Tatsuha didn't know what to make of it. But for some reason, a lot of people were trying to get in. They all dressed as if they were in for a long night of partying, and they pushed each other out of the way in an attempt to get closer to the front doors. He watched as the three women he had followed hooked arms and disappeared into the crowd, which could've been heard from all the way down the street. There was a lot of shouting and laughter, and some people ran around teasing each other. They did anything they could to kill time until they were let in.

Tatsuha approached the new club with apprehension. He walked slowly up to the crowd of people for a better look, and examined his surroundings carefully. When he was close enough to the building, he immediately noticed something.

The club's name was painted on the wall, but it was dark and hard to see. It confused him. Why was its' name so hard to read? Why wasn't there a sign or something?

He tilted his head to one side and squinted in order to see it better. The letters were much clearer then. They spelled out "Destiny" in English.

"Club…Destiny?"

At that very moment, there was a sudden uproar. The club began letting people in, and there was a fast rush for the doors. The doorman made them get into lines and checked their IDs as they passed. And every time someone entered, Tatsuha could hear music coming from inside.

The young teenager wasn't sure of what he should do next. He wanted to know why everyone thought the place was great and his curiosity was killing him, but for some reason he felt like he should turn back. The feeling made him shiver and he hesitated. It was as if something were telling him _not_ to go inside, and if he _did_, something unforgettable would happen. He just wasn't sure if it were good or bad.

After a short pause, he shook his head and disregarded every worry. "This is crazy. Snap out of it Tatsuha," he laughed as he tried to loosen up, "Nothing's gonna happen! It's just a club. I'm here aren't I? I might as well go inside."

And with that said he headed towards the entrance.

The only problem was that he was underage, which meant he had to find another way in. As it turned out, sneaking in wasn't that hard to do. Actually, it was surprisingly easy…but only for someone like Tatsuha, of course. It was all about patience, which many people standing in line did not have. He stood to the side of the lines and waited for the right moment, and it came when a large group of people got too excited. All at once, they rushed for the doors. There were too many of them, and the doorman was overwhelmed. As he tried to re-gain order, a few were able to slip past him without being noticed. Tatsuha was one of them.

As soon as he entered the club, all the doubts he had about the place disappeared. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened with disbelief as he looked around.

"Whoa!" he shouted, "Is this place for real?!"

It was almost unbelievable. Who would've thought that the inside would look so incredible?

The club was very wide and spacious. There were neon lights everywhere, and a huge dance floor packed with people dancing. A DJ booth was set up next to the dance floor, and the entire place was filled with loud upbeat music. Throughout the club, there were also lounge areas where people sat down and chatted with friends.

The club's bar was big, and it looked amazing. It had a long bar table with bar stools lining up against it, and it was decorated in very trendy neon lights. Behind the table, bartenders in uniforms were serving up drinks non-stop, and in flashy ways. They smiled, tossed bottles in the air, and then caught them.

The club also had two levels. The first level was called the "bottom floor". This was the floor with the bar and DJ booth. The second level was the "top floor". It was like a giant balcony that overlooked the first level. As for decor, it looked just like the bottom floor, only it had a smaller bar and dance floor. It also had a lot more lounge areas.

Club Destiny definitely lived up to all the hype, and it surpassed all of Tatsuha's expectations.

Instead of interacting with people, Tatsuha decided that the _first_ thing he would do was rest for a minute. He nudged his way past the dance floor and sat down at the bar. Two seconds later, a bartender walked up to him.

"Anything to drink?"

Tatsuha looked at all the different drink options listed on a sign behind the bar table, and a huge smile stretched across his face. There were so many choices to pick from! He wanted to order right away, but then he noticed the prices. The price for each drink was too high, and he needed to save his money for later. So with that in mind, he reluctantly passed on the offer.

"No, thanks," he sighed, "maybe later."

He was just about to get up and leave the bar, when two older men sat down next to him. They both looked annoyed and they talked loudly. Tatsuha couldn't help but hear what they were saying.

"Man! It's not fair I tell ya!" one man shouted.

His friend nodded his head in agreement, "Yeah! How come _we_ can't go to the top floor?! We're just as cool!"

"That's right!" the first man continued, "The top floor shouldn't be for 'important guests' only! Whose idea was it to make the entire top floor a V.I.P. section anyway! That doesn't make any sense! It's just not fair!"

Tatsuha glanced at both of them from where he was sitting. "A V.I.P. section?" he whispered to himself, "So, are these guys telling me that I can't go up there at all?"

He turned around and looked up at the top floor, which was above everyone else. There, sat someone he had least expected to see.

"Ryuichi…S-Sakuma…"

His voice trembled as he gazed up from his chair. All neon lights faded from his sight in an instant. Tatsuha couldn't hear any noise anymore, and he couldn't see anyone else. There was only Ryuichi. His heart pounded in his chest and his body temperature rose.

"I can't believe it…he's here."

What luck! What a coincidence! It had to be fate!

Ryuichi Sakuma was sitting down in plain sight with a drink in his hand. He wore a tight shirt and jeans, and he was smiling. His brown hair looked messy, as if he'd been dancing for a while, and his beautiful blue eyes beamed brighter than any light there.

Tatsuha immediately acted on his first impulse, which was to go to him. He threw down his backpack and ran across the dance floor (not caring who he bumped into), but his pace began to slow down once he reached the stairs leading up to the top floor.

"Wait a minute," he thought, "what if Tohma is with him?"

He looked around the room in a panic, "This is bad! I can't let him find me here!"

After scanning the room for a blonde-haired man wearing a familiar-looking hat, Tatsuha paused for a moment. Although he didn't want to be caught, he still wanted to talk to Ryuichi. At the very least, he _had_ to apologize for his absence at N-G that morning. He tried a different approach.

To get Ryu's attention, Tatsuha ran over to the DJ booth. He stood next to it and waited for Ryuichi to glance in that direction, which _had_ to happen eventually. And it did, when a new song came on. Tatsuha smiled, jumped, and waved his hands in the air. His idea worked. Ryuichi spotted him.

However, the singer's reaction wasn't what Tatsuha had anticipated. As soon as their eyes met, Ryuichi's smile disappeared. He no longer looked happy and he turned away almost instantly, leaving Tatsuha with a confused expression on his face.

"Wha-What?" he thought to himself, "He looked upset just now. Didn't he see me?"

He slowly walked back over to the stairs, "Was he ignoring me? It seemed like it, but why would he? No…he probably just didn't see me."

Tatsuha made up his mind then and there. He decided that getting caught was a risk worth taking, if it meant he could talk to Ryuichi one more time. He ran up the stairs, and at the top he came face to face with a security guard. The huge guard was the only thing standing between him and the top floor.

"Damn security guards," he mumbled, "Always in the way!"

The security guard folded his arms when he saw him approaching, "Sorry sir, V.I.P.s only."

"It's okay, it's okay!" Tatsuha grinned, "You see that man sitting down over there?"

He pointed his finger over the guards shoulder, and the guard turned to look. He saw Ryuichi sitting down. The singer was laughing again, and he looked like he was having a good time.

"That's Ryuichi Sakuma," the teen continued, "I'm a friend of his. You can let me pass."

"I don't know…I don't think I can just take your word for it."

"No really! I _am_ his friend! Look, if you don't believe me, then I'll get his attention to prove it."

Tatsuha called Ryuichi's name over and over again, and he waved his arms wildly in the air. But Ryuichi wouldn't turn to him. No matter how much he yelled, his idol refused to look.

"I don't understand it. Can't he hear me? Everyone else can."

Suddenly, Tatsuha noticed something. Ryuichi _was_ looking at him, but only through the corner of his eye. The singer had stopped smiling after hearing Tatsuha's voice, and he pretended to look in the other direction.

"He _can_ see me! But why won't he turn to me? I-Is he trying to ignore me?" He tried again, "Hey! Hey Ryuichi!"

It looked as though Ryu were trying his hardest to ignore Tatsuha, but after awhile he finally gave up. He turned and looked directly at the teen, and their eyes locked onto each other. Tatsuha smiled and waved, but Ryuichi didn't do anything. He just stared at him, as if he'd never seen the teen before in his life. Tatsuha tried not to let it faze him.

"Look, see!" he cheered as he faced the security guard, still trying to convince him. "He's looking straight at me." He called back to his idol, "Hey! Hey Ryuichi! This guy's not letting me through! Tell him we're…"

Time slowed down towards the end of his sentence, as he stood there and witnessed the worst sight imaginable. It happened in slow motion.

A beautiful woman in a short skirt walked in. She had long blonde hair and red lips, and she carried a purse with the name "Terra" stitched into it. Tatsuha watched as she walked over to Ryuichi and sat down on his lap. She placed her hand on his cheek and redirected his gaze so that his attention was completely on her. Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him affectionately, the way lovers do. Ryuichi kept his eyes open the whole time, and when they finished kissing, she flipped her hair and giggled. As for Ryuichi, he was smiling again.

"…..together."

He was dumbstruck. It was the worst feeling in the world. Rejected and ignored at the same time, it was too much to bear. Completely heart-broken, he forgot all about trying to get pass the security guard. He went back downstairs and sat down at the bar.

"Bartender," he sighed, "I'd like to order a drink now."

"What'll you have?"

Tatsuha thought for a second. Then he answered.

"…I want the _strongest_ drink you've got!"

* * *

Okay, first half done! Now go read the second half. 


	12. At Destiny's Door part2

**Disclaimer- **Gravitation is not mine.

**Warnings-** same.

**A/N- **Here's the second half.

* * *

(Chapter 7: At Destiny's Door part 2)

Several drinks later, he was still sitting at the bar. He had drowned his sorrows in alcohol, and he continued ordering one drink after another. It _did_ put him in a better mood, but at a high price. Because of his drinking, he was running low on cash and common sense. Later, he would have to decide between a place to stay and a train ticket, since he hardly had any money left. But now, he was too upset to care. And it was all because he thought Ryuichi was purposely ignoring him. Little did he know…

Ryuichi was actually keeping a close eye on Tatsuha from where he was sitting. He was shocked when he first saw the teen in the club, and too unprepared for another encounter between them. He was with his girlfriend too. It was bad timing, and he didn't know what to do.

Ryuichi was completely flustered after seeing Tatsuha again. The teen looked _really_ good, and truth be told, Ryu _wanted_ to see him more than anyone could've imagined. He didn't _want_ to treat the boy like he did, but it just wasn't the right time or place. And to make matters worse, Tatsuha saw that kiss. It was unplanned and not something Ryu meant to do. It just…_happened_, and now he felt awful.

Ryuichi knew he was going to apologize to Tatsuha for all of his rude behavior before the night was over, but until then, he would have to secretly watch over him.

There were a few times when Tatsuha caught Ryuichi staring at him, but every time he stared back the singer turned away. This only supported the idea that Ryu was ignoring him, and he took a long sip of his drink to cope with it.

A bartender walked by with a concerned looked on his face. "Don't you think you should take it easy with that drink?"

"Aww, don't worry!" he chuckled, "I can hold my liquor."

It was true, he was an experienced drinker, but this time he may have overdid it. The drinks were very strong and he had a lot of them. Luckily, he was still able to speak well enough. But even so, his face was bright pink.

As he took another sip of his drink, a woman sat down next to him. She had long black hair that was tied back with a pink ribbon, and she also had a very flirtatious personality. Turned out, Ryuichi Sakuma wasn't the only person there with his eyes on the boy.

"Hey there! Why's a handsome guy like you all alone?" she grinned, "No girlfriend?"

"No…" he replied, then he pointed to himself, "…all alone. _I'm_ used to being the heartbreaker, but this time it's different." He pressed his hand against his chest, "It really hurts, ya know?"

Tatsuha looked down and saw that he was almost finished with his drink, so he tried to order a new one.

"Sorry," the bartender replied, "but I've got to cut you off. You've had too many, I'm not allowed to keep serving you."

The teen let out a deep sigh. With only one sip of alcohol left in his glass, he raised it into the air.

"Here's to…well…here's to money, here's to freedom…but most of all…" he turned to the woman sitting next to him, "…here's to _you_." He drank the rest of his drink.

"Thank you very much. I'm honored. Really." She smiled and winked at him, "Listen, I can't really do much about your drink situation. But if it's a good time you're lookin' for, you've found it. How 'bout a dance?"

Tatsuha looked up at the top floor and saw Ryuichi staring down at both of them. "Yeah, sure," he smirked, "Let's dance!"

They both walked to the dance floor and started dancing. The DJ turned up the volume, and upbeat music was blaring through the speakers. She swayed her hips back and forth, and he felt her body moving against his. Their movements were in sync, and they danced until they were almost out of breath. After a few songs, they stopped in the middle of the dance floor.

"Hey!" she shouted over all the noise, "You're a good dancer!"

"Thanks."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him, "Let's get outta here! Okay? I know a place where we can have some privacy."

She started leading him off the dance floor, but someone stopped them.

"HOLD IT!"

Tatsuha felt a hand grab his shoulder, and it squeezed him tightly.

"Ouch! Let go!" He brushed the hand off and turned around. When he looked up, he saw the hostile face of a slightly taller and very muscular man. The man looked like he'd been drinking, and he sounded furious.

"Who the hell are you?! Where do ya think you're goin' with _my_ girlfriend?!"

"_Girlfriend_?" Tatsuha looked puzzled, "Wait a minute! I didn't know she was your--"

"Leave us alone, Nagi!" the woman interrupted, "I don't want you anymore!"

Tatsuha turned to her, "What?!"

"Oh, you're gonna pay for this, punk!" The man grabbed the back of Tatsuha's hair and pulled. And then, a huge fight broke out.

The music stopped playing and people backed away from the two opponents. They watched in awe, pointing and gasping as Tatsuha and the man had it out in the middle of the dance floor. Some people thought it was exciting. They circled around them and cheered them on.

They both scuffled to the ground. They rolled around on the floor, pulling and swinging at each other, as they battled for the offensive position. In the middle of the tussle, the man grabbed Tatsuha's leg. He yanked it as the teen fought against him, but Tatsuha was able to kick away. Then, he struggled to get back on his feet as quickly as possible.

The fist fight was painful. Tatsuha got hit a few times in the face. He felt his skin burning, and his fists were throbbing. But despite his wounds, he was winning. He dodged and dealt most of the blows. At one point, he threw a punch to the man's stomach and knocked the wind out of him. Then, after the man threw a punch to his shoulder and missed, the teen grabbed hold of the guy's arm. Using all of his strength, Tatsuha managed to flip the guy over and onto the ground.

It was finally over. The guy he tossed lay on the ground, unable to get up. Tatsuha won the match. He stood there for a minute, trying to catch his breath, and then turned to leave the dance floor. As he walked away, he suddenly heard gasps coming from the crowd, and the people standing next to him wore shocked expressions on their faces.

And then, a voice amongst the crowd called to him. It sounded alarmed and terrified, and it came from the _top floor_.

"LOOK OUT! BEHIND YOU!!"

Tatsuha turned around just in time to see the man standing up again. The guy snarled, and wiped the blood from his busted lip. Enraged, he ran and grabbed the nearest chair and charged straight for the teen. Without a second to think, Tatsuha braced himself as he watched the guy raise the chair into the air and over his head. He didn't blink as he looked up and saw the chair about to strike, but he also saw something he didn't expect. It was a blur at first, the way it moved so fast, but then it became clear.

A pink bunny wearing a red bowtie flew through the air.

It soared over Tatsuha's head and collided with the other guy's face. The man was thrown off for only a second, but it was long enough for the teen to act. With a swift fist, Tatsuha was able to land a strong right-hook straight into the man's face. The guy fell (for good this time) and the chair landed on the ground next to him.

Of course by now, security was already plowing through the enormous crowd. Tatsuha saw them and ran. If caught, he would go to jail along with the guy he fought. He _had_ to keep away from them.

Tatsuha was able to push through the crowd before security could reach him. He grabbed his backpack, ran through a dark area in the club, and found another way out. He escaped through the back door, which lead to a quiet backstreet. The backstreet also had a sign pointing in the direction of one of Tokyo's main streets, so he followed it.

Once outside the club, he began to slow down. There weren't any people around, which worked out perfectly for him. He didn't want to deal with anyone's awkward stares. He didn't want anyone to see him in his condition and look down on him. He just wanted to be alone, so he could figure things out.

He stumbled around as he walked. Alcohol was partly at fault for his inability to walk straight. Injury also contributed a little. He limped around on his sore leg for a while as he wandered down the street, and his entire body was decorated in scratches and bruises. He was a complete mess.

"I need…to find a…place to stay," he panted, "I need to…clean myself up." He dug through his backpack for his wallet, and when he realized that he didn't have enough money left, he dropped down to his knees. "No," he whispered sadly, "What am I gonna do now?"

Footsteps began to echo in the distance. Someone was running toward him, and he immediately assumed that a security guard was hot on his trail. He got up and started running, but the footsteps got faster. He looked back, and saw Ryuichi chasing him.

When he saw Ryuichi running after him, he ran faster. He tried his best to get away from him. The last thing he ever wanted was for Ryuichi Sakuma to see how bad he looked.

But Ryuichi wouldn't give up. He picked up the pace, and ran a lot faster. "Wait!" he yelled, "Wait, Tatsuha! I want to talk to you!"

After hearing his calls, Tatsuha kept running. However, it was getting harder for him to keep his pace in his condition. He lost his balance, and stumbled a bit. Then he straightened up and kept running.

Ryuichi called again, "Stop! Please wait!"

Tatsuha wouldn't listen. He felt as though he were about to collapse. His skin was stinging with every step he took, and his chest tightened as he gasped for air. But he wouldn't stop running.

Suddenly, Tatsuha's condition got the better of him. He tripped, and fell to the ground. He was able to get back up and he staggered for a moment, but he was too hurt and tired to keep going. He dropped back down to his knees.

When Ryuichi finally caught up with him, he wrapped his arms around him in a comforting embrace. "Oh!" he sighed with relief, "Please be more careful, Tatsuha."

His entire body warmed up in Ryu's arms, and he felt like he could breathe again. But the feeling changed when he remembered how Ryuichi also held that blonde-haired woman in his arms. He remembered how Ryu rejected him…how he ignored him…how _everyone_ ignored him…and how they _all_ thought poorly of him. He remembered the reason he was running away in the first place, and he began to think Ryuichi was mocking him. "What are you doing?!"

"Sorry," Ryuichi smiled as he held Tatsuha closer to him, "I'm just _so_ happy you're okay."

"I'm not okay! Let go of me! Don't touch me!" Tatsuha shouted, as he tore himself out of Ryu's embrace and backed away. He breathed in and out slowly to calm himself, "…I'm _not_ okay."

Ryuichi looked shocked and confused. He stared at him, and he wasn't sure how to react. "_Tatsuha_?"

"Go away!"

"No, let me help you." Ryu reached for Tatsuha's arm in an attempt to help him up, but Tatsuha brushed it away.

"No!" he refused, "I don't want your sympathy! I don't want your help! I'm on my own now, I don't need _anyone_!"

Tatsuha was reaching his breaking point. His frustrations were too much for him to handle. All of the responsibilities he dealt with, his family members' distrust, his training for taking over after his father… they all built up inside of him, and they were all coming out at once. When he added alcohol to the mix, he ended up having a major meltdown on his hands.

The teen angrily grabbed his backpack and stood up. He turned away, put the backpack on, and started limping. The backpack was still open, and Ryuichi noticed that there were clothes inside. Then he put two and two together.

"Tatsuha…are you running away?"

Tatsuha hesitated to speak at first, but then he answered the question. He spoke without turning to look at him. "…I'm leaving Tokyo tomorrow on a train," he mumbled, "and I'm not coming back."

"No one knows about this?"

Tatsuha slowly nodded his head, and Ryuichi felt a sharp pain shoot through his chest. He immediately jumped in front of the teen and blocked the only pathway. The singer wasn't going to let him leave so easily, and because of that, he was about to learn the hard way that there's no reasoning with a drunk person.

Ryuichi shouted, hoping that it would help stop him. "You shouldn't! Your family will worry and--"

"It's none of your business anyway." Tatsuha interrupted, "Why don't you go back to the club?"

When Ryuichi heard him say that, he got upset. He moved closer to Tatsuha and looked into his eyes. Tatsuha had never seen him look so serious, and Ryuichi's tone was much deeper.

"How could you say that?" he whispered, "You're my best friend's brother-in-law, and _I_ just watched some guy beat the crap out of you! So it _is_ my business!"

Tatsuha laughed, "Ha ha! If you think this is bad, you should see the other guy!

"I don't care about the other guy!" Ryuichi yelled, "_I care about you!_"

There was a long and awkward silence after that. Tatsuha didn't know what to say. They both just stood there and stared at each other. Then, Ryuichi broke the silence. His voice was much calmer.

"Let me help you. We'll go talk to Tohma."

"No."

"Tatsuha--"

"No way!"

Tatsuha clenched his fists and stared at the ground as he spoke, "Look, there's no way I'm going back to see Tohma! I…I can't face him like this."

The amount of concern Ryuichi had in his voice grew. "Then what will you do? Where will you go?"

"I--!" Tatsuha raised his voice for a moment, and then stopped in the middle of his sentence. He stared at Ryuichi with sad eyes, trembling, and he looked as though he were about to cry. "I…" he repeated hastily, "I don't know!"

Without another word, Tatsuha pushed pass Ryuichi. He limped further and further down the street, until he reached the end. While he walked, he didn't hear Ryuichi say or do anything, and he didn't look back. He just kept moving forward.

Tatsuha was about to head for the main street, when he heard echoes coming from the backstreet he had just left.

"Don't leave!"

They were hard to hear, but they started getting louder.

"Don't leave!"

Tatsuha didn't think anything of it, and he didn't bother paying attention to it. But suddenly he heard Ryuichi's voice, and it was right behind him.

"DON"T LEAVE!"

"_Huh?_ _What?!_"

"STAY WITH _ME_!"

Ryuichi grabbed Tatsuha and wrapped his arms around his waist, embracing the teen from behind. He pressed the side of his face against Tatsuha's back and shouted again.

"STAY, TATSUHA! DON'T LEAVE ME!"

"Wh-What? Ryuichi?"

The singer blushed after he realized what he had said, and he turned an even brighter shade of red once he realized how he was holding the teen.

"Ummm…I mean…stay at my place, at least for tonight. You're hurt, Tatsuha. It's late and you've got nowhere to go. I can see that I won't be able to change your mind. So, rest at my place tonight, and then you can be on your way tomorrow."

Tatsuha paused for a moment, as if he were giving Ryu's offer some thought, and then he spoke.

"Ryuichi?"

"Yes?" the singer answered, as he tightened his grip.

"…You can let go of me now."

"Oh! Right!" Ryuichi let go, and Tatsuha turned around to face him. He was smiling.

"Okay…I'll stay at your place 'till morning."

"Good," Ryuichi smiled back, "I'll call a driver to come pick us up."

Tatsuha nodded, and then set his backpack down next to him while he waited.

Without warning, his head started to spin. His breath shortened, and his vision got fuzzy. He wobbled a bit as he stood, and he was having trouble supporting his weight on one leg (since the other one hurt so much), so he leaned against a wall.

"Hey, Tatsuha?"

"Y-Yes?" he answered, in a quivering tone.

"Are you…_feeling_ alright?"

"Yes…I'm fine."

"Come closer. You can lean on me. I'm much softer than that wall."

Tatsuha's smile grew wider, and he took the singer up on his offer.

"…Thank you," he whispered in gratitude, "Thank you…very… mu--"

He fell to the ground with a loud thud, and the last thing he heard was Ryuichi's voice calling to him. "_Tatsuha!_"

Then everything faded to black.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Tatsuha's world went pitch black in only a matter of seconds, and he was having a hard time recovering. It was like being trapped inside a tiny box with chains wrapped around it. He couldn't see or hear anything, and for the longest time, he could barely move.

But then, out of nowhere, he heard a soothing melody. He couldn't name the song, but the voice sounded familiar. It _had_ to be Ryuichi's. The lyrics were hummed to him in a smooth and powerful voice. _That_ voice couldn't belong to anyone else.

Tatsuha felt himself slowly regaining consciousness. And as he listened to the melody, a hand gently grazed his cheek.

When he finally opened his eyes, he saw Ryuichi leaning over him. His idol was still humming, but he stopped and smiled as soon as their eyes met.

"What…happened?" the teen asked, his voice a little shaky.

"You passed out," Ryu answered as he stared down at him, "You scared me."

"Oh, yeah…Sorry, I don't know what happened to me. Ha ha, I guess I just had too much excitement for one night."

"Yeah, that, and you drank too much." Ryuichi's smile disappeared then, and there was a hint of seriousness in his reply.

Tatsuha blushed at the comment. He turned away from Ryu's gaze, and looked around the room instead.

He quickly noticed that he was lying on top of a large bed, and that Ryuichi was sitting next to him on its edge. There were two doors (one directly across the room, and one on his left), a few posters on the walls, and a chair or two, but the room was too wide and his vision was still a little fuzzy. He wasn't able to see a lot of details. All he really knew was that he wasn't on the street anymore.

"Where am I?"

"You're at my place, in one of my guestrooms." Ryu answered, and then he smiled again, "Ya know what, Tats-chan, you're a lot heavier than you look!"

Tatsuha smiled in response, and in his excitement (after finding out where he was), he tried to sit up too quickly and got a little dizzy. "Whoa!"

"Hey, Hey!" the singer cautioned, "Take it easy! You've had a rough night."

Tatsuha nodded. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Really" he assured, as he pushed his body forward and sat up straight.

After he pulled himself together, the teen looked down and noticed that both of his hands were sloppily wrapped in bandages. There were band-aids stuck to different parts of his body as well. Ryuichi saw that he had a questionable look on his face, so he began to explain.

"It's not as bad as it looks. You had a few cuts and bruises, but nothing serious. It should heal pretty fast. You don't have to see a doctor or anything." Ryuichi's smile widened and he laughed again, "Ha ha, well, maybe I should've taken you to one. He'd probably be better at wrapping bandages than I am. This is my first time ever wrapping bandages on someone. So, I guess I'm kinda bad at it. Sorry 'bout that, but please bear with it."

Tatsuha shook his head. "Oh no, don't be sorry. You did a really good job!" he lied, "I feel better already."

"Thanks." Ryu replied, as he stood up from the bed and walked to a corner of the room. He returned to the bedside with a backpack in his hands. "Well, here's your backpack," he said while handing it to him, "Would you like anything? I want you to feel as comfortable as possible while you're staying here."

Tatsuha looked around and pointed to the door on his left. "Is that a bathroom over there?"

"Yep!"

"That's great. I'd really like to clean up a little."

"Sure, na no da!" Ryu beamed, "And don't worry about your bandages. They're waterproof!"

"There's a shower, right?" the teen asked as he rose from the bed. But when he got to his feet and stood, he wobbled a bit and quickly crouched down to the ground.

"Whoa! Wait a minute! Don't stand up so fast."

Ryuichi rushed over to Tatsuha and helped him back up. Then they both sat down on the edge of the bed. "Yes, there is a shower," he answered, "but I don't think you'll be able to keep standing up on your own while you're in it."

At that very moment, Tatsuha turned to face his idol, and Ryuichi saw him differently. The teen didn't seem so helpless anymore, and there was a hunger in his lustful black eyes that devoured every inch of Ryu's body. It was almost heart-stopping, and Ryuichi began to feel a little nervous.

"So…" Tatsuha spoke slowly and in a seductive tone, "are you offering to join in and help me?"

Ryuichi immediately turned bright red and he could barely speak, "…um…uh…I-I can…help y-you…" He had a hard time finishing his sentence, and all the while, Tatsuha was leaning in closer and closer. Their lips almost touched, when Ryu shouted, "I'll fix you a bath! Then you don't have to stand! Wait here!"

Ryuichi leaped off the bed and ran into the bathroom, and the next thing Tatsuha heard was running water. After a few minutes, Ryu came back into the room, and he was acting like his usual energetic self. "I've started it for you!" he cheered, "but it'll take a while for it to fill up."

He sat back down next to Tatsuha and kept talking, "So, this is the room _you'll_ be sleeping in. If you need anything, anything at all, I'll be in _my_ room. It's right down the hall. And don't worry about waking me up either, I don't mind."

"_Ryuichi_"

Tatsuha's tone hadn't changed at all from before, and it almost made Ryuichi too nervous to answer.

"Yes…Tats-chan?"

Without any warning, Tatsuha boldly leaned in and placed a hand on Ryu's thigh. He pushed himself closer, until both bodies touched, and he whispered sweetly into his ear, "Why can't I sleep with _you_?"

Ryuichi blushed. "_Ah_! Tatsuha!" he cried, "You're too close!"

He tried to put some space between them, but before he could move, Tatsuha wrapped his arms around him and pulled him closer.

"Wait!" he shouted, "Hold on! Wait a--"

Tatsuha pressed his lips against Ryu's before he could finish his sentence, and he felt him relax in his arms almost instantly. When he was sure that Ryu had calmed down, he lightly flicked his tongue against his idol's lips, prompting him to open his mouth for a deeper, more passionate kiss.

Ryuichi felt his heart beat faster, so fast that he could hardly breathe, and he began to tug aggressively at Tatsuha's shirt. The teen broke their kiss for only a second so that they could catch their breath, and in that second, he looked into Ryu's eyes and realized that they had changed. They were the piercing eyes of the singer he'd seen performing on stage many times before, only this time they had a gleam of desire.

The teen captured his lips again, and their mouths fused together for an even longer period of time. Ryuichi wrapped his arms around the boy's neck, and after their lips separated for the second time, he breathed a submissive whimper into his ear.

He suggestively fell back and stretched his body across the bed. Tatsuha took this as an invitation and crawled on top of him. They kissed affectionately, and after the kiss was broken, Tatsuha slid his hand underneath Ryu's shirt and moved it across his body until it rested on his bare chest.

Ryuichi didn't break eye contact with Tatsuha the entire time, until the younger began to press his mouth against his neck, then his eyes closed automatically. He was surprised at how the young monk handled his body so well, and he softly moaned in approval.

Tatsuha left a trail of soft kisses from Ryu's chin to just under his collarbone. And each time he pressed his lips to Ryu's skin, it would get warmer. The lead singer felt his body heating up. By now, he was panting uncontrollably. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he trembled a little every time he felt small gusts of Tatsuha's breath beat against his skin.

But pleasure turned into pain in a split second when an over-ambitious Tatsuha, still slightly inebriated, forgot himself and bit down on Ryu's neck.

"_Ouch_! _Too_ hard!" Ryu shouted, as he covered the spot on his neck with his hand. He reflexively pushed Tatsuha off of him, and accidentally caused the teen to fall off the bed and onto the floor. Tatsuha slowly stood back up, and they stared at each other awkwardly.

They both were very quiet, until Tatsuha tried to apologize.

"Ryuichi…I…I didn't mean to--" he panicked, "I'm sor--"

"Oh no!" Ryuichi jumped up from the bed (completely ignoring what the boy was saying) and rushed to the bathroom, "The water! I forgot the water! I left it running!"

Tatsuha stood silently in the room, and when Ryu came back, a confused expression appeared on his face. The singer was his usual self again, and he acted as if nothing had happened.

"Okay, Tats-chan!" he cheered, "The bath's ready."

Tatsuha followed him back into the bathroom, which was very nice and stylish-looking. It had a polished marble floor, a sink, a very spacious shower, and a huge bath tub. His confusion was replaced with shock as he looked around the room. "It's _so_ big."

Ryuichi smiled and pointed to the bath, "I put pink bubbles in it!" He walked over to the tub and put his hand in the water. "Get in while it's still warm. Oh, and I didn't fill it up _all_ the way, just in case you pass out again. I wouldn't want you to drown."

"…_Thanks_."

His idol nodded as he grinned, "Uh-huh. Take off your clothes. I'll be right back with some towels." And with that said, he closed the door and left the room.

Fifteen minutes later, Ryuichi walked back into the guestroom carrying a large stack of towels and giggling. He stood outside of the bathroom door and started to whisper. "Tatsuha," he giggled, "I'm coming in. Hope you're decent!"

But as he reached for the doorknob, he heard a noise coming from inside. It sounded like frustrated sobbing.

He leaned against the door and pressed his ear to it for better hearing. Inside, Tatsuha was talking to himself, and his voice was shaking. He sounded very upset.

"This is stupid!" he yelled, "_I'm_ stupid! I can't believe I did that! I'm such an idiot!" His breathing was uneven as he spoke, "…Ryuichi probably hates me now."

There was a short pause after that, and then the teen spoke in a calmer voice. "I'm a burden to everyone. No one wants me around. I'm definitely doing the right thing by leaving. All I do is cause trouble for everyone, especially now. After everything that's happened tonight, after all I've said and done, I _know_ Ryuichi hates me. I just _know_ it."

His voice sounded even sadder, "He's doing this to be polite…he's doing this for Tohma."

Ryuichi listened attentively to everything Tatsuha was saying without making a single sound. Tatsuha's broken spirit hit him hard, and his heart felt heavier with every word spoken. After a while, he sat down on the floor with his back against the door, and he hugged a few towels to his chest. As Tatsuha continued speaking, Ryuichi gripped the towels tighter and tighter. Then, he cracked the door open and peaked inside. Tatsuha was in the tub, staring at his reflection.

"I never wanted him to see me like this." he said, as he raised one of his bandaged hands into the air. "Look at me! I'm pathetic!"

In a fit of frustration, he tried to rip the bandage off. He tore a piece off the back of his hand, and it began to throb. His hand was still sore, and it stung with a sharp pain. "AH! DAMN IT!"

"Tatsuha? Are you okay in there?" Ryuichi called in to him, and Tatsuha suddenly lowered his voice. "…yeah!" he answered as he rubbed his hand, "I'm good."

Ryuichi walked into the bathroom, and Tatsuha quickly hid his stinging hand from him. He submerged it in the water and turned his head away from his idol, refusing to meet his gaze.

"I brought towels."

Ryu placed the stack on the ground and waited for a reply. When he didn't get one, he said goodnight. Then he reluctantly closed the door and left the room.

Once he was gone, Tatsuha got out of the tub and dried off. He walked back into the guestroom, pulled some clothes out of his backpack, changed into them, and turned off all the lights.

He collapsed on top of the bed and got under the sheets. Then he made himself comfortable, and before long, he fell asleep.

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A full hour hadn't passed yet, when the door to the guestroom slowly opened, and Ryuichi re-entered the room.

"Tatsuha?" he whispered, "Are you asleep?"

When Tatsuha didn't answer, he quietly walked up to the bed for a closer look. The teen was sound asleep, and when Ryu was sure he wouldn't wake up, he sat down on the bed and watched him.

As Ryuichi gazed down at Tatsuha, he admired how peaceful he looked while he slept. The young monk lay on his back, and his entire body was completely at ease. The sight made Ryu smile, and he ran his hand through Tatsuha's hair. "You must've been dead-tired," he chuckled, "I don't think an explosion could wake you."

The teen began to stir when he felt the singer's touch. He squeezed the bed sheets and turned on his side. "Mmmm, Ryuichi…" he mumbled in his sleep.

At the sound of his name, Ryuichi looked at Tatsuha lovingly, and his smile brightened. He leaned in and spoke into the teen's ear.

"You're wrong, ya know." he said softly, as he placed his hand over Tatsuha's ripped bandage, "You couldn't _be_ more wrong."

Ryuichi held the teen's hand, removed some of the ripped bandage, and brought it to his lips. He gently kissed Tatsuha's bruised skin, and then set his hand back down. "I don't hate you." he whispered, "The way I feel about you… is _far_ from that."

Ryuichi stood up then, and stretched his arms up towards the ceiling. While trying not to disturb Tatsuha's slumber, he carefully pulled the sheets back and crawled into the bed.

"Well, I guess we _can_ sleep together," he yawned, as he cuddled up to Tatsuha's warm body, "…for a little while."

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Thanks for reading! See you next chapter (hopefully)! 


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